Policies | Tobacco Use Cessation Interventions

Tobacco-use cessation policies^1-3

Workplace policies promote a corporate “culture of good health.”

Workplace smoking bans (e.g., smoke-free buildings, campuses, and company-owned vehicles) encourage users to quit and reinforce the company’s health emphasis

• Many studies have shown that smoking bans and restrictions are effective strategies to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke, a preventable cause of significant illness and death
• Smoking restrictions that prohibit smoking indoors reduce exposure to second-hand smoke, reduce the number of cigarettes an individual smokes each day, and increase the number of smokers who quit
• In contrast, a tobacco ban would prohibit tobacco use entirely anywhere on the company grounds. Smoking bans are more effective than are smoking restrictions in lowering exposure to second-hand smoke (i.e., environmental tobacco smoke) by an average of 72% in the workplace and in reducing the number of employees who smoke
• Tobacco-free policies should be combined with tobacco cessation campaigns and referral programs. Emphasize that a tobacco-free environment protects everyone—tobacco users and nonusers alike