A former doctors’ secretary has been awarded damages for being subjected to second-hand cigarette smoke in 1999 and 2000, Trouw reports on Tuesday.

The high court ruled that the Isala clinic in Zwolle was 50% responsible for the fact the woman developed an asthmatic condition, the paper says.
The woman spent three months in an asthma clinic in Switzerland and was then declared unfit to work.
The clinic, where the secretary worked for two doctors who were heavy smokers, argued that the woman’s complaints were not caused by the smoking but were the natural progression of the disease.
The amount of damages awarded against the clinic will be decided later, Trouw said.