The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: BREATH—The Global Smoke-Free Workplace Program also known as Global Breath sponsored by the American Lung Association of the East Bay (California), believes that “reinventing” smoke-free workplace tobacco control resources is unnecessary and costly. Tobacco use is the second major cause of death in the world. It is currently responsible for the death of one in ten adults worldwide (about 5 million deaths each year). If current smoking patterns continue, it will cause some 10 million deaths each year by 2025. The workplace has been identified as the most important source of Secondhand Smoke (SHS) exposure.

Methods: Global technical assistance, in-person trainings, materials, website, conference call trainings, face-to-face meetings, and other resources have been made available throughout the world by Global BREATH. Announcement of services on GLOBALink and collaborative efforts with Essential Action and European Network on Tobacco Control have also generated requests for assistance from around the world.

Results: Global Breath has provided a variety of resources including technical assistance to 16 countries including Nigeria, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Great Britain, Sweden, Canada, Australia, and Vietnam and conducted full-service trainings in Croatia, Norway, Korea, the states of New York, Montana, New Mexico, Province of Alberta and elsewhere. Presentations have been made to the European “Smoke-Free Workplace” Conference in Berlin, Germany and the Asia Pacific Association for the Control of Tobacco (APACT) Conference in Gyeongju, South Korea and throughout the United States. Global BREATH through its sponsor, the American Lung Association of the East Bay will continue to provide services to any country or state requesting assistance.