Should health organizations add a 'tobacco filter' to their recruitment policies?
Each year, an estimated 5.4 million people die from tobacco usage. This could increase to up to 8 million if current trends continue, according to the World Health Organization.
This is why WHO, among other health groups, is boosting its efforts to raise awareness of the health risks associated with tobacco, as well as pushing governments to take measures aimed at discouraging its continued use.
These efforts aren’t solely focused externally. A number of health organizations, particularly those engaged in tobacco control activities, have extended their campaigns internally by adopting policies to ensure a smoke-free work premises and offering smoking cessation programs to employees.
WHO has even adopted a hard-line policy — the United Nations public health arm won’t hire applicants who smoke or “other tobacco users who do not indicate a willingness to stop smoking,” according to language in its no tobacco recruitment policy.
