The umbrella organization for Danish municipalities, Kommunernes Landsforening (KL), has proposed a new anti-smoking initiative whose tentacles would reach into the private spaces of municipal employees who choose to smoke.
According to a story in The Copenhagen Post quoting Politiken; if KL has its way, soon, municipal employees will not be allowed to smoke during ‘working hours’.
The new proposal would mean that these employees would not be allowed to smoke at work, on the way to and from work or when they work at home.
“Smoking is the single most negative factor for overall health in Denmark,” Thomas Adelskov, the chairman of KL’s social and health committee, was quoted as saying. “That’s why we are urging all the municipalities to make a special effort to make more people stop smoking and to prevent fewer starting.”
The Post said that if the country’s municipalities chose to go down this path, they would seem to have the backing of the Danish population, but it wasn’t clear how it arrived at this conclusion given that it reported that only 40 percent of people in Denmark supported general workplace smoking bans.
‘A new opinion poll carried out by Megafon for Politiken and TV2 shows that 40 percent think that smoke-free work places should be introduced – not only in the municipal regime but also in private companies,’ the Post wrote.
‘Smoke-free schools are even more popular. Last November, a poll carried out by Kantar Gallup for the cancer organization Kræftens Bekæmpelse showed a whopping 79 percent behind the idea, with only nine percent against.’
‘Make’ them quit
