Page 30 - TAIWAN TOBACCO CONTROL ANNUAL REPORT 2019

included that indoor workplaces to be designated as non-smoking areas. Workplaces that excelled in promoting health were commended to encourage the establishment of smoke-free workplaces and implement health promoting activities. The new Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act regulations of 2009 stipulated that indoor workplaces occupied by three or more persons must be designated as non-smoking areas. In response, most workplaces have actively planned relevant strategies to create a safe and comfortable smoke- free workplace. Examples of these smoking cessation strategies include classes, counselling and lectures, breathing carbon monoxide tests, poster exhibits, outpatient services of the company's health clinics, pledging support to smoke-free workplaces, and sharing experiences of coworkers who successfully quit smoking. During the period of 2007~2017, there were a total of 18,274 workplaces passed the healthy workplace self-certification (Fig. 1-2). In 2017, professional guidance teams were further involved to actively promote health startup and health promotion mark certification in the field for guiding 166 workplaces, and the number of workplaces passing the certification reached 1,818 workplaces. Fig. 1-2 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 6,73 113 265 2007 2008 Accumulated number of workplaces passing health workplace self- certification over the year Health promotion 12,349 10,635 2013 2014 Health startup 16,456 14,287 2015 2016 Tabacco hazards prevention 20,415 18,274 7,411 5,523 9,186 2012 3,554 1,851 6957 6957 6957 6957 6957 5797 6788 7678 4358 4984 4284 5974 3602 1153 768 3400 1992 2617 370 2796 1406 3171 1667 3046 3525 4529 5780 2026 1027 567 0 560 1586 28 2009 2010 2011 2017 2018 Year A nationwide survey on healthy workplaces and work environments was conducted in 2017 for full-time employees aged 18 and above in Taiwan to gain a better understanding of the results of tobacco-free workplace promotion upon implementation of the new regulations set forth in the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act. This survey reveals that the smoking rate of employees amounts to 11.5% (a 2.5% decrease compared to 2016). 23.5% of all male employees and 2.6% of all female employees are smokers. Full smoking bans have been implemented in 84.3% of all indoor workplaces (a 0.6% increase compared to 2016). This clearly shows that greater efforts are required in the promotion of tobacco hazard prevention at the workplace upon enforcement of the new regulations set forth in the Tobacco Hazards Prevention Act. This includes provision of smoking cessation services and workplace audits to ensure smoke-free work environments as well Number of families