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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office on Smoking and Health
Tel: 1-800-CDC-INFO
(1-800-232-4636)
TTY: 1-888-232-6348
E-mail: tobaccoinfo@cdc.gov
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Fact Sheet
Smoke-Free Policies Reduce Smoking
(October 2006)
Among Adults
- Workplace smoking restrictions lead to less smoking among
employees.1
- Smoking bans and restrictions in workplaces lead to reductions in
daily consumption of cigarettes and increases in tobacco use cessation
among workers.2
- A 2002 review of 26 studies concluded that a complete smoking ban
in the workplace reduces smoking prevalence among employees by 3.8%
and daily cigarette consumption by 3.1 cigarettes among employees who
continue to smoke.3
- A study conducted in 20 U.S. and 2 Canadian communities found that
employees who worked in workplaces that maintained or changed to smoke-free
policies between 1993 and 2001 were nearly twice as likely to have stopped
smoking by 2001 as employees who worked in workplaces that allowed smoking
everywhere.4
- Smoking prevalence among New York City adults decreased by 11%
(approximately 140,000 fewer smokers) from 2002 to 2003 following the
implementation of a comprehensive municipal smoke-free law, a cigarette
excise tax increase, a media campaign, and a cessation initiative involving
the distribution of free nicotine replacement therapy.5
Among Youth
- By challenging the perception of smoking as a normal adult behavior,
smoke-free policies can change the attitudes and behaviors of adolescents,
resulting in a reduction in tobacco use initiation.2
- A national study found that adolescents who work in smoke-free workplaces
are significantly less likely to be smokers than adolescents who work
in workplaces with no smoking restrictions or a partial work-area smoking
ban.6
- A Massachusetts study found that, compared to youth who live in
towns with weak restaurant smoking restrictions, youth living in towns
with laws making restaurants smoke-free were less than half as likely
to progress to established smoking.7
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The Health Consequences
of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General.
Atlanta, Georgia: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Coordinating Center for
Health Promotion, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2006 [cited 2006 Oct 23]. Available from:
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/sgr_2006/index.htm.
- Task Force on Community Preventive Services.
The Guide to Community
Preventive Services: What Works to Promote Health?
New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 2005 [cited 2006 Oct 23].
- Fichtenberg CM, Glantz SA.
Effect of Smoke-Free Workplaces on Smoking
Behaviour: Systematic Review.
British Medical Journal.
2002;325:188 [cited 2006 Oct 23].
- Bauer JE, Hyland A, Li Q, Steger C, Cummings KM.
A Longitudinal
Assessment of the Impact of Smoke-Free Worksite Policies on Tobacco
Use.
American Journal of Public Health.
2005;95(6):1024–1029 [cited 2006 Oct 23].
- Frieden TR, Mostashari F, Kerker BD, Miller N, Hajat A, Frankel
M.
Adult Tobacco Use Levels After Intensive Tobacco Control Measures:
New York City, 2002-2003.
American Journal of Public Health.
2005;95(6):1016–1023 [cited 2006 Oct 23].
- Farkas AJ, Gilpin EA, White MM, Pierce JP.
Association Between Household
and Workplace Smoking Restrictions and Adolescent Smoking.
Journal of the American Medical Association.
2000; 284(6):717–722 [cited 2006 Oct 23].
- Siegel M, Albers AB, Cheng DM, Biener L, Rigotti NA.
Effect of Local
Restaurant Smoking Regulations on Progression to Established Smoking
Among Youths.
Tobacco Control.
2005;14(5):300–6 [cited 2006 Oct 23].
For Further Information
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office on Smoking and Health
E-mail: tobaccoinfo@cdc.gov
Phone: 1-800-CDC-INFO
Media Inquiries: Contact CDC's Office on Smoking and Health press line
at 770-488-5493.
Page last reviewed 02/28/2007
Page last modified 02/28/2007