Smoke-free policies are
anti-smokING, not anti-smokER

The goal of a smoke-free workplace policy is to provide a safe and healthy workplace to all of your employees.  Unfortunately, the simple message of "smoke free" can sometimes be misinterpreted as smoker-free or anti-smokER instead of anti-smokING. 

Communicating with your employees is important, in the interest of allaying any such misconceptions.  Make sure that your employees understand that by adopting a smoke-free policy you are not making a judgement about smokers as individuals or saying that people who smoke are not welcome, just that they may not smoke while at work due to the health risk it poses to their co-workers. 

Also, your company can demonstrate your commitment to support your smoking employees by offering help:  Cessation support may help employees quit successfully and reassures smokers that the company is not trying to stigmatize them.

Reference:

1.         Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Office on Smoking and Health, USDHHS, Wellness Council of America, American Cancer Society. Making your workplace smokefree: A decision maker's guide 1996.

This page was last updated on May 19, 2003. Copyright © 2003 Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch, NC Department of Health and Human Services. All rights reserved. Click here for disclaimer.