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Smoking Facts

The effects of smoking in the workplace falls into two categories - direct smoking and secondhand smoke. A person's right to smoke is unquestionable, unless that choice directly affects another person's right to good health and to breathe air free from tobacco smoke.

Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke can have a major impact on the workplace. It has been estimated that in the UK, 617 workers die from workplace secondhand smoke exposure every year,[1] including one death a week in the hospitality sector.

The Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH) estimated that exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risks of both heart disease and lung cancer by around 25% in its 2004 report.[2]

Failing to protect your employees from the health risks from secondhand smoke could lead to litigation claims against your business in the future.

Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including tar, nicotine, benzene, carbon monoxide, ammonia, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.[3]

30 minutes exposure to secondhand smoke is sufficient to reduce coronary blood flow in otherwise healthy adults. [4]

Exposure to secondhand smoke - passive smoking or Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS), is associated with: [5]

• Acute respiratory illness in early childhood
• Chronic cough, phlegm, and wheeze in children
• Chronic middle ear effusions in children
• Reduced levels and growth of lung function in children
• Increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• Increased bronchial hyper- responsiveness in asthmatics
• Increased lung symptoms in asthmatics
• Decreased lung function in asthmatics
• Irritation to the eyes, nose and throat
• Increased risk of lung cancer and heart disease with long-term exposure

All of this contribues to unnecessary cost to you and your business.

Impacts of smoking in the workplace

Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke can have a major impact on the workplace. Higher sickness rates lead to:

• More sick pay
• Lost productivity and output
• Increased absence
• Increased stress levels
• Cleaning, redecoration and maintenance
• Provision of facilities for both smokers and non-smokers e.g. expensive ventilation systems, smoking shelters
• An increased fire risk (smoking causes 10% of accidental fires in the workplace)
• Higher fire insurance premiums
• Potential Litigation fees and compensation payments in the future

Sources:

1. Jamrozik, K. Estimate of deaths attributable to passive smoking among UK adults. BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.38370.496632.8F (published 2 March 2005).

2. SCOTH. Secondhand Smoke: Review of Evidence since 1998. Department of Health November 2004.

3. Respiratory health effects of passive smoking - US Environmental Protection Agency 1992 (EPA). The EPA classifies tobacco smoke as a known human carcinogen.

4. Otsuka, R. Acute effects of passive smoking on the coronary circulation of healthy young adults - Journal of the American Medical Association 2001.

5. Pechacek TF, Babb S. How acute and reversible are the cardiovascular risks of secondhand smoke? - British Medical Joural 2004.