UN Reinforces 18-Year-Old Ban on Smoking and Vaping

BC Youth Vaping Study

The United Nations has reissued strict directives enforcing its 18-year-old indoor smoking and vaping ban at its New York Headquarters. Released by the UN Media and Liaison Unit (MALU), the circular comes ahead of the General Assembly sessions in mid-September to address ongoing policy violations.

During the 1970s and 1990s, smoking was common in UN corridors and committee rooms. Early attempts to curb the habit relied on administrative memos stating smoking was “discouraged.” This led to pushback from diplomats, including Russian Ambassador Sergey Lavrov, who famously lit a cigarette outside the Security Council chamber, declaring, “This building does not belong to the Secretary-General. It belongs to member states.”

The policy changed in 2008 when the 193-member General Assembly adopted Resolution 63/8. This resolution, alongside Secretariat Information Circular ST/IC/2016/10, established a complete ban on indoor smoking and tobacco sales across all UN Headquarters premises, restricting the practice to designated open-air areas.

Despite the long-standing policy, recent violations prompted the UN Media and Liaison Unit to issue a new warning. The circular clarifies that outdoor spaces like terraces, verandas, and building entrances are not default smoking zones. “Smoking and vaping should take place only where the area is specifically designated and clearly marked,” the directive states.

The restrictions apply equally to electronic cigarettes. The UN notes that vape aerosol contains nicotine and ultrafine particles that pose health risks to nearby staff, delegates, and visitors.

The policy alignment matches guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO), which maintains that there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke. Tobacco use kills more than 7 million people annually, including 1.6 million non-smokers exposed to passive smoke.

Additionally, the WHO warns that nicotine exposure is highly addictive and alters brain development in children and young adults. Beyond health consequences, tobacco use drains household resources in low- and middle-income countries, where 80% of the world’s 1.2 billion tobacco users reside, driving up healthcare costs and reducing economic productivity.

Matthew Ma
Follow
Latest posts by Matthew Ma (see all)

Related posts:

Cannabis Drinks, Alcohol Harm ReductionCannabis Drinks Cut Alcohol Use by 50%: UB Study vape laws in South AfricaNew Deadline for Smoking and Vape Laws in South Africa Xylazine found UK cannabis THC vapes‘Zombie’ Drug Xylazine Found in UK Cannabis THC Vapes EU countries push crackdown vapes protect youth12 EU Countries Push for Crackdown on Flavored Vapes Aragon youth smoking, youth vaping SpainSpain Proposes Outdoor Terrace Smoking Ban and Equal Regulation for E-Cigarettes Tobacco 21 LawFederal Law Raises Legal Smoking and Vaping Age to 21
Malaysian Government Urged to Clarify Liquid Nicotine Legal StatusPerak Vape Ban Deadline, Malaysia Vape Sales BanScotland vape display banEngland to Restrict New Vape and Betting Shop Openings