How to Develop a Smoke-Free Workplace Policy

• Learn about applicable state and local laws and regulations. The American Lung Association provides state-by-state information at http://slati.lungusa.org/states.asp or you can order
  publications by calling (202) 785-3355. By becoming familiar with your state or local smoking ordinances you will ensure that the policy under development is in compliance with the law and is tailored to the particular industry and work site.
• Involve your employees. Employee participation is key to the success of any policy. Be sure to involve both smokers and nonsmokers. If your employees are unionized, union involvement is critical. For more information, see the included Organized Labor and
  Tobacco’s fact sheet What Do I Need to Know about Labor Unions and Tobacco?
• Give ample notice. Provide your employees with sufficient notice before implementing the new workplace smoking policy. Employees need time to prepare for the change and to understand why it is being made.
• Provide access to smoking cessation treatments. Offer and actively promote appropriate smoking cessation assistance well in advance of implementing a workplace smoking policy. Your company may find that many of your smoking employees want to quit smoking.
  An aggressive campaign with several options will enable more employees to quit smoking sooner.
• Offer incentives. Offering incentives to quit smoking is one way companies can assist employees, and cut company health care costs, as well. Incentives might be as simple as recognition in your company’s newsletter, or, for pregnant smokers, offering coupons for free diapers, etc.
• Enforce the policy strictly and fairly. Develop ways to ensure that employees are following the policy. The policy should provide for even-handed and fair enforcement and also protect the rights of nonsmokers. It should also recognize the fact that it takes time to change smokers' attitudes and behavior.

For more information, go to Making Your Workplace Smokefree; A Decision Maker's Guide, developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/research_data/environmental/etsguide.htm