Smoking in the workplace has always been a difficult issue for employers to deal with, and as evidence grows about the negative effects on health for people who are exposed to second hand smoke (passive smoking), this doesn’t get any easier.

Every year there are more deaths associated with exposure to tobacco smoke in the workplace than any other cause. 

Smoking affects businesses in many ways:

§         it is a cost issue,

§         a health & safety issue

§         a personnel issue.

The benefits to businesses of Smokefree policies include:

§         Better corporate image

§         Reduced absenteeism and increased production

§         Improved staff morale, better morale means less staff turnover 

§         Reduced decorating costs - maintenance- redecorating, damage to furniture, office cleaning takes longer with ash to clean up

§         Lower risk of fire

§         Caring employer having a smoke free workplace shows you care about your employees health and their exposure to second-hand smoke

§         Support the 70% of your workforce who don’t smoke.

§         Support the 70% of smokers who want to quit

In the Workplace: How we can help you?

§         A workplace Smoking Policy Toolkit to help you throughout the process of developing a policy/ Development of a new workplace policy

§         Information about Smoking & its affects on smokers and non-smokers.

§         A review of your existing policy

§         Advice about how to involve your workforce

§         Information and personal support for employees wishing to quit

§         Free training for staff/ support for other people who wish to stop smoking

It is important to say that smoking policies are not concerned with smokers, but where they smoke. They are implemented to protect those who do not smoke and to ensure they are able to enjoy a smoke free environment while at work.

Points to remember:

§         Employers do not have to provide facilities for smokers in the workplace.

§         When you address the issue of smoking in the workplace remember that 70% of the adult population are non-smokers so you will have the majority of your workforce with you.  But focus on smoking not the smoker.

How do I develop a smokefree policy?

Health benefits…

Second-hand Smoke – The facts…

Passive smoking, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), second-hand smoke. These are all familiar phrases, but many people still do not realise the seriousness of the impact that second-hand smoke has on peoples’ health.

Tobacco smoke pollution is an unwanted and unnecessary hazard to public health.  It harms everybody – adults, children, staff, and visitors. 

Putting it simply, ‘second-hand smoking’ is the inhalation, by non-smokers, of the smoke from other people’s cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Its effects are far from trivial and pose a serious environmental health hazard. We know conclusively that environmental tobacco smoke is a contaminant that contains over 60 cancer causing compounds (carcinogens) and other harmful chemicals that are inhaled by and enter the bloodstream of non-smokers.

Clearly, removing second-hand smoke has a positive health effect for staff and customers, consider these facts:

• The British Medical Association has estimated that secondhand smoke kills at least 1,000 people every year in the UK!
• It can have dangerous, short-term effects for certain customers: children, people with heart problems, asthmatics and pregnant women
• Half an hour passive smoking is enough to reduce coronary heart flow and make the blood ‘sticky’ which can trigger strokes and heart attacks
• Second-hand smoke kills one hospitality industry worker per week

Arguments for Alternatives

- Smokefree Zones and Ventilation

Is Ventilation Effective?

• No. Ventilation may remove the smell of tobacco smoke but it cannot remove all the cancer causing particles and gases from the air.

• For ventilation to have any significant effect, it would need to be ‘tornado strength’.

• Furthermore, ventilation is very costly and may cost tens of thousands of pounds to install and maintain.

• The tobacco industry regularly advocates “ventilation solutions” as fair alternatives to smokefree places. However it is important to remember that they have a vested interest because smoke-free places reduce the consumption of cigarettes.

What About Smokefree Zones?

• Smokefree zones also provide little or no protection against second-hand smoke simply because smoke drifts!

What do we mean by Smokefree?

When we talk about ‘smokefree’ it means, quite literally, a 100% smoke-free environment. Not non-smoking areas, not even smoking with good ventilation but no smoking anywhere in your building.  Many places have no smoking sections but smoke drifts! This may be preferable to not providing any smokefree areas at all but it fails to provide the clean air that so many people are now saying they want.