Chinese and US health authorities on Friday launched a joint campaign aimed at promoting smoke-free workplaces in China, according to a China Daily story relayed by Tobacco China Online.
Established by China’s Ministry of Health and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the China-US Partnership on Smoke-free Workplaces has pledged to recruit participants from companies operating in China by January 2014.
“Establishing smoke-free workplaces is the responsibility and obligation of business leaders, as well as an important measure for promoting a company’s image and protecting the health of its employees,” said Huang Jiefu, China’s vice health minister.
Meanwhile, Howard Koh, assistant secretary of the HHS, said the US government would work with its Chinese colleagues on educating the public, promoting cessation services at workplaces and encouraging companies to take part in the campaign.
The campaign is said to have already attracted 59 leading enterprises operating inChina.