Norway may ban smoking during work

Employers in Norway are likely to ban smoking for employees during work hours, says Minister of Health Anne-Grethe Strom-Erichsen. Tighter restrictions on smoking were discussed during a hearing in Norway's Parliament Friday, the Norway Post reported. Strom-Erichsen said the sale of 10-packs of cigarettes is likely to be banned. The government is also considering legislation that would ban students from smoking during school hours and make all entrances of public buildings smoke-free, Strom-Erichsen said. The efforts are part of a large goal of making Norway completely free of tobacco products in the future, the newspaper said. Frode Jahren, the secretary-general of the Norwegian Heart and Lung Patient Organization, said he wished the proposed legislation was even stricter. "They could have set the minimum age for buying cigarettes to 20 years. They could also have suggested a ban against smoking during work hours," he said. Strom-Erichsen said she agrees with Jahren, adding "We take the Tobacco Act step by step."