EDITORIAL: OCCUPATION AND EPIDEMIOLOGY ASSEMBLY 20 years of research and advocacy for a healthy and tobacco-free environment

The European Respiratory Society (ERS) has contributed, since its foundation in 1990, to epidemiology and occupational health through the Occupation and Epidemiology Assembly (Assembly 6) with three Groups: Epidemiology; Occupational and Environmental Health; and Tobacco,Smoking Control and Health Education. These groups have been working on the development of respiratory epidemiology and the dissemination of awareness of the environmental, occupational and smoking-related health risks in the medical society as well as the public domain. Assembly 6 participated in the editorial board of the European Lung White Book issued by ERS and the European Lung Foundation (ELF), and is coordinating the second issue of the European Lung White Book. Assembly 6 has also played a role in the foundation and management of the Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) with the World Health Organization.