Indicator Description
Many cities and states have laws prohibiting smoking in workplaces to protect employees and the public from secondhand smoke. The presence of a written policy and its specific features indicates an effort to establish a smoke-free work environment.

What to Measure

• The existence of a written policy that prohibits smoking in the workplace in your state, county, and/or community.
• Effective components included in the smoke-free workplace policy (see checklist figure 3.3).
• How the policy is implemented and enforced.
• Customer and employee satisfaction of smoke-free workplace laws.

Where to Find Local Data

• Call your local health department for information on local policies and laws prohibiting smoking in workplaces.
• The State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation (STATE) System is an electronic data warehouse containing up-to-date and historical state-level data on tobacco use prevention and control.

Interpretation Guidelines

• Once a smoke free policy is adopted, it may not need continued tracking. Satisfaction and health-related information can be monitored to see the overall public health benefit of smoke free environments.

Resources

• Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) — Secondhand Smoke

Hamilton WL, Rodger CN, Chen X, Njobe TK, Kling R, and Norton G. "Independent Evaluation of the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program." Eighth Annual Report: January 1994-June 2001, Abt Associates Inc, 2003.