Pillar #1: Tobacco Use

Requirements:

  • Establish and enforce tobacco-free workplace policies.
  • Provide coverage for, at either no cost or at a reasonable cost-sharing level, evidence-based tobacco-cessation treatments (counseling and all FDA-approved prescription and non-prescription medications).
  • Provide employer-sponsored tobacco-cessation programming. 

Key Messages

1a. Establish and enforce tobacco-free workplace policies.

  • Your organization must have a comprehensive tobacco-free (not simply smoke-free) policy that is communicated and enforced.
  • All forms of tobacco and smokeless tobacco must be prohibited.
  • It must apply to all US-based employees, temporary workers, contractors and visitors, in all sites and facilities, whether they are owned, leased or shared.
  • The policy must apply to your entire workplace – both indoors and outdoors – including in private vehicles and in parking lots.
  • The policy must apply to company-owned or company-leased vehicles, if any, regardless of their location.
  • In facilities that are leased or shared, where the landlord may permit the use of tobacco, your policy must stipulate that your employees may not use tobacco while at work. 
  • If you do not control the space outside your buildings, the use of tobacco must be prohibited near the entrances to your buildings. The distance (i.e. # of feet) may vary based upon your circumstances and must be sufficient to demonstrate that individuals are not exposed to secondhand smoke.
  • Providing designated areas for smoking or separately ventilated facilities is not permissible.
  • Communications messages should be positive: “we care about your health” and “here are the programs and support we’re offering to help you stop using tobacco”.

1b. Provide coverage for, at either no cost or at a reasonable cost-sharing level, evidence-based tobacco-cessation treatments (counseling and all FDA-approved prescription and non-prescription medications).

  • All employees enrolled in your health plans and their eligible covered dependents must have access to all of the FDA-approved tobacco-cessation medications, both Rx and non-prescription OTC products.
  • Medications and counseling must be available at either no cost or with a co-pay that is in line with your other pharmacy benefits.
  • In cases where a generic form of a medication is available, you may choose to provide access to the generic and not the brand.

1c. Provide employer-sponsored tobacco-cessation programming.

  • An organization must have programming in place to encourage employees to quit and remain tobacco free.
  • There are many suggested ways to meet requirement 1c – not all are required, however, your organization must check off a sufficient number of boxes on the application to demonstrate that programming is in place to help employees quit the use of tobacco.

GOLD STANDARD FOCUS

Read what a group of CEOs in Texas are saying about fighting cancer in the workplace. Executives from several of our Gold Standard accredited organizations, including Dell, Livestrong, CPRIT, Seton Family of Hospitals and the American Cancer Society’s High Plains Division participated in the discussion.
The Road to Wellville


Learn how CEOs are making a difference in the lives of their employees by implementing the CEO Cancer Gold Standard.  Listen to what employees are saying about the Gold Standard in Their Own Voices.


Brochure.pngLearn much more about the Gold Standard by reading The Evidence and The Benefits to Your Organization. 

Did You Know?

All cancers caused by cigarette smoking and heavy use of alcohol could be prevented completely.