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Perspectives in Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Workplace Smoking Survey -- New York City
During the period May 16-23, 1986, employees of the New York
City
Department of Health (NYCDOH) participated in a survey regarding
smoking practices and attitudes toward a workplace smoking policy.
The survey was conducted to obtain baseline information for
evaluating
the impact of a smoking policy initiated by the mayor and scheduled
to
be implemented July 1, 1986. It was also intended to familiarize
employees with the policy.
Questionnaires were completed by employees who volunteered to
attend one of several NYCDOH meetings concerning the mayor's
proposed
legislation and pending executive order about smoking restrictions.
Of the estimated 900 employees in the department's primary office
building, 608 attended the meetings, and 496 completed the survey.
Thus, 55% of the total employees and 82% of those attending the
meetings completed the questionnaire. Of the respondents, 137
(28%)
currently smoked cigarettes, eight (2%) smoked pipes or cigars, 333
(67%) were nonsmokers, and 18 (4%) did not answer this question.
The
female to male ratio of respondents was 2.5:1. Thirty-one percent
of
the males and 28% of the females were current smokers. Eighteen
percent of the smokers smoked a pack or more of cigarettes per day.
Sixteen percent of the cigarette smokers reported that they did not
smoke at work. Fifty-nine percent of nonsmokers reported at least
occasional exposure to tobacco smoke from others in the workplace;
56%
of nonsmokers reported at least occasional exposure to tobacco
smoke
from the visiting public.
Regarding employee attitudes toward smoking in the workplace,
63%
of all respondents (26% of smokers and 79% of nonsmokers) reported
being annoyed when other employees smoked nearby. Of nonsmokers,
38%
reported that, when exposed to tobacco smoke, they would like to
ask
smokers to stop but are hesitant to do so. Thirty-three percent of
nonsmokers reported that they were able to work without noticing
smoke. Twenty-nine percent reported that they try to move away
when
other employees smoke. Overall, 82% of the respondents (including
69%
of smokers) indicated that smoking in the workplace should be
either
limited (65%) or banned (17%). Most respondents indicated that
restricting smoking in the NYCDOH would have no adverse effect on
relations among their co-workers (87%), on their job performance
(94%), or on their office morale (90%). Of current smokers, 46%
indicated they would quit or reduce their smoking if workplace
smoking
were restricted.
Reported by KJ Denard, MS, MK Bradstock, MD, MPH, P Clarke, MPH,
Div
of Health Promotion, SC Joseph, MD, MPH, New York City Dept of
Health;
Div of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, Center for
Environmental Health, Div of Health Education, Center for Health
Promotion and Education, Epidemiology Program Office, CDC. Editorial Note
Editorial Note: The control of smoking and tobacco smoke exposure
in
the workplace has become an important public health issue in the
United States in recent years. No studies have yet quantified the
nonsmoking worker's risk of lung cancer from chronic exposure to
tobacco smoke in the workplace. However, numerous studies have
documented that nonsmoking wives of smoking men have a risk of lung
cancer that is between 14% and 34% higher than that of wives of
nonsmoking men (1). In addition, it has been shown that employees
exposed to sidestream tobacco smoke in the work environment are at
greater risk of developing small airways dysfunction than are
nonexposed employees (2). Small airways disease, which is the first
pathological change seen in beginning smokers (3), may increase the
risk of developing disabling chronic airways obstruction (4).
As a consequence of data such as these concerning the effects
of
sidestream tobacco smoke exposure, an increasing number of
employers
have instituted policies to control smoking in the workplace.
While
some policies and control measures have been adopted voluntarily,
others have been required by legislative actions. There are
already
laws in 17 states and ordinances in at least 100 localities
regulating
workplace smoking (Office on Smoking and Health, unpublished data).
In one recent national survey, 36% of 662 responding employers
reported having established workplace smoking policies; an
additional
2% planned to enact policies by the end of 1986, and 21% reported
that
policies were under consideration (5).
Despite the voluntary nature of the NYCDOH survey, the results
are
consistent with previously reported findings concerning employee
knowledge, attitudes, and smoking practices in the workplace
(6-10).
Since this represents 55% of total NYCDOH employees, however, these
results should be interpreted with caution. Smoking prevalence
among
respondents in this survey (28%) is similar to the estimates of
national smoking prevalence (30%) (11). It is also similar to the
prevalence reported for white collar workers (32% of females, 33%
of
males) (12) and for those in a surveyed private workplace (33%)
(6).
In most surveys, the majority of respondents have approved of
some
limitation of smoking in the workplace (6-10). A nationwide survey
commissioned by the American Lung Association (13) asked 1,540
randomly selected individuals whether companies should have a
policy
on smoking at work. Eighty-seven percent of all
respondents--including 80% of smokers--indicated that smoking in
the
workplace should be limited. Surveys of employees at individual
workplaces have provided similar support for smoking restrictions.
For
example, 74% of employees at a large health maintenance
organization
approved of a smoking prohibition policy 4 months after
implementation
of the policy (7). In another survey, 71% of all employees
indicated
that smoking in the immediate work area should be restricted (80%
of
nonsmokers and 51% of smokers) (6).
Policies limiting smoking in the workplace not only protect
nonsmokers from the health effects of passive smoking but also may
encourage smokers to quit or reduce smoking. In one survey, 51% of
the employees who smoked indicated that workplace smoking
regulations
might prompt them to reduce smoking or try to quit smoking
completely
(6). In the NYCDOH survey, the majority of participating employees
were in favor of restricting smoking in the workplace.
References
National Research Council. Passive smoking. Washington, DC:
National Academy Press, 1986.
White JR, Froeb HF. Small-airways dysfunction in nonsmokers
chronically exposed to tobacco smoke. N Engl J Med
1980;302:720-3.
Niewoehner DE, Kleinerman J, Rice DB. Pathologic changes in
the
peripheral airways of young cigarette smokers. N Engl J Med
1974;291:755-8.
Ingram RH. Chronic bronchitis, emphysema and airways
obstruction. In: Petersdorf RG, Adams RD, Braunwald E,
Isselbacher KJ, Martin JB, Wilson JD, eds. Harrison's
principles
of internal medicine. 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Book
Company, 1983:1546.
Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. Where there's smoke:
problems
and policies concerning smoking in the workplace. Washington,
DC:
Bureau of National Affairs, 1986.
Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company. Employee smoking
study
(project no. 82-63). San Francisco: Pacific Telephone
Company,
January 1983.
Rosenstock IM, Stergachis A, Heaney C. Evaluation of smoking
prohibition policy in a health maintenance organization. Am J
Public Health 1986;76:1014-5.
Martin MJ, Silverman MF. The San Francisco experience with
regulation of smoking in the workplace: the first twelve
months.
Am J Public Health 1986;76:585-6.
Sorensen G, Pechacek T, Pallonen U. Occupational and worksite
norms and attitudes about smoking cessation. Am J Public
Health
1986;76:544-9.
Anonymous. Other people's tobacco smoke . Lancet 1986;1:752.
Thornberry OT, Wilson RW, Golden PM. Health promotion data for
the 1990 objectives. Estimates from the National Health
Interview
Survey of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, United
States,
1985. In: National Center for Health Statistics. Advance
data
from vital and health statistics. Hyattsville, Maryland:
National Center for Health Statistics, 1986; DHHS publication
no.
(PHS) 86-1250, no. 126.
Office on Smoking and Health. The health consequences of
smoking--cancer and chronic lung disease in the workplace: a
report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, Maryland: Public
Health Service, 1985. DHHS publication no. (PHS) 85-50207.
American Lung Association. Gallup survey (Press release). New
York: American Lung Association, December 5, 1985.
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