Government

AMA calls for workplace smoking ban

The Association will push for action at every level of government.

By David Glendinning — Posted Dec. 5, 2005

Print  |   Email  |   Respond  |   Reprints  |   Like Facebook  |   Share Twitter  |   Tweet Linkedin

Dallas -- After a group of American Medical Association members proposed a lobbying campaign aimed at banning smoking in bars and restaurants, delegates went even further by setting their sights on any place where people work.

The AMA will "actively support national, state and local legislation and actively pursue regulations banning smoking in all workplaces" under a resolution adopted during the Interim Meeting in November. Under existing policy, the Association already supported physicians and state medical societies in their efforts to lobby for smoke-free public places and businesses.

Original resolution language introduced by the AMA's medical student section would have focused the lobbying initiative on banning smoking in any place where food or drink is sold and consumed on the premises. But physicians felt that this designation did not go far enough, said AMA Trustee Robert Wah, MD.

"Our goal was to make sure that we are able to rid the workplace of these very toxic and dangerous chemicals that are in cigarette smoke," he said. "There was a recognition that there was no reason to limit it simply to people that gather together for eating ... and the public workspace needed to be protected, regardless of whether it's an eating establishment or a working establishment."

The Association's leaders hope they can help increase the number of places in which smoking bans exist, Dr. Wah said. Twelve states and a number of cities have approved such workplace prohibitions, according to the group.

Physicians fearful that tobacco companies would use any federal smoking laws to preempt stronger state or local statutes added a provision in the resolution calling on the AMA to work to prevent such a move. Doctors concerned about cigarette smoke causing or exacerbating non-cancerous respiratory conditions also prompted the delegates to remove language identifying the threat posed by carcinogens as the primary reason for a workplace smoking ban.

Back to top


ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISE HERE


Featured
Read story

Confronting bias against obese patients

Medical educators are starting to raise awareness about how weight-related stigma can impair patient-physician communication and the treatment of obesity. Read story


Read story

Goodbye

American Medical News is ceasing publication after 55 years of serving physicians by keeping them informed of their rapidly changing profession. Read story


Read story

Policing medical practice employees after work

Doctors can try to regulate staff actions outside the office, but they must watch what they try to stamp out and how they do it. Read story


Read story

Diabetes prevention: Set on a course for lifestyle change

The YMCA's evidence-based program is helping prediabetic patients eat right, get active and lose weight. Read story


Read story

Medicaid's muddled preventive care picture

The health system reform law promises no-cost coverage of a lengthy list of screenings and other prevention services, but some beneficiaries still might miss out. Read story


Read story

How to get tax breaks for your medical practice

Federal, state and local governments offer doctors incentives because practices are recognized as economic engines. But physicians must know how and where to find them. Read story


Read story

Advance pay ACOs: A down payment on Medicare's future

Accountable care organizations that pay doctors up-front bring practice improvements, but it's unclear yet if program actuaries will see a return on investment. Read story


Read story

Physician liability: Your team, your legal risk

When health care team members drop the ball, it's often doctors who end up in court. How can physicians improve such care and avoid risks? Read story

  • Stay informed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • LinkedIn