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Smoke-free success stories

We would love to add your company's success story about going smoke-free to our website. Please contact us so that we can set up an interview with you to discuss your organization's journey to a smoke-free workplace! And check back here often for more success stories from other smoke-free businesses!

	Owen's 501 Diner goes smoke-free At Owen’s 501 Diner in Chapel Hill, the owner decided to change the secondhand smoke policy because of customers' complaints to the health department. Since the new smoke-free policy was implemented in March 2001, customers are no longer complaining and bartenders and waiters are making more money in tips because of a faster turnover!
	Robbinsville's Papa's Pizza to Go responds to youth advocates Two young health advocates in Robbinsville were able to change an secondhand smoke policy in just a few minutes! Traci Clark, ASSIST Coalition Coordinator for the Hi-Top Consortium and her coalition in Graham County worked with a local restaurateur for months on a smoke-free policy as he prepared to open a new location of his restaurant, Papa's Pizza to Go. The owner received support from the community for the smoke-free policy, and seemed committed to opening his new site as a 100% smoke-free restaurant. Unfortunately, after receiving a few negative comments during construction (especially from the construction workers), the owner changed his mind about the smoke-free policy and decided that he would open his restaurant with a smoking section in the back. A few weeks before the opening of the new location, two youth members of T=ALK (Tobacco = America’s Largest Killer) program went to the restaurant to pick up a take-out order and left a frowning face sticker on the counter reading "We're disappointed. We like your restaurant. We'd come more often if it were smoke-free." Within two hours of seeing this bill, the restaurant manager called the local health educator in Graham County, Ms. Carol Roundtree, announcing that as a result of this feedback, the new restaurant would open with a 100% smoke-free policy after all. The sticker let the restaurant owner know that everyone is a potential health advocate, and more people care about a healthy and safe policy than he originally suspected. Just two girls and one sticker – now that’s impressive! The restaurant's grand opening was in August 2001. Business has been great, and the restaurant serves as the site of a NOT (Not-On-Tobacco) smoking cessation program for teens.
	Wrangler Jeans adopts an A+ smoke-free policy An impetus for Wrangler Jeans to adopting a nonsmoking policy in 1992 was the number of complaints received by nonsmokers about secondhand smoke. In 1991, Wrangler surveyed their 750 employees to gather demographics about their smoking status and assess the exposure to secondhand smoke. When employees were asked if a smoke-free workplace was preferred, the majority, including smokers, said yes. In fact, a number of employees who smoked felt a nonsmoking policy would provide a supportive environment that would help them to quit smoking or decrease the amount smoked. Wrangler gave employees a 1-year period to adjust to the new policy. The company offered free stop-smoking classes at work and provided employees time off during the workday to attend. Employees were also offered incentives to attend programs at local cessation providers and hospitals. If an employee chose a nicotine-replacement therapy, Wrangler offered a 25% refund toward the prescription. For the first year only, employees who remained smoke-free for two months after successful completion of a cessation program received a $75 bonus. Besides providing a safer and healthier work environment for its employees, the number of employee complaints is down considerably and employee morale has increased.