Tobacco-Free Workplace

Maintain a comprehensive tobacco-free workplace policy

The tobacco-free policy must apply to the entire workplace – both indoors and outdoors and must apply to all US-based employees, temporary workers, contractors and visitors. Gold Standard employers may not have any designated areas for the use of any form of tobacco.

Sample tobacco-free workplace policy

Sample tobacco-free enforcement language

Forms of tobacco and smokeless tobacco

Cigarettes, Cigars, Pipes
Smokeless tobacco, also called chewing tobacco, oral tobacco, spit or spitting tobacco, dip, chew, snuff, snus, twist, plug, and dissolvable tobacco products
Electronic cigarettes, also called “e-cigarettes,” or “Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems” (ENDS)

Tobacco-Free Workplace Best Practices

Tobacco Free Business Card

Celgene

Tobacco Free Business Card

A very simple, but very effective, practice has been instituted at Celgene to dissuade employees from tobacco use as well as give them resources to find cessation programs. The Corporate Affairs team, alongside of our Corporate Services colleagues, have developed a business card that can be provided to tobacco users who are violating the Global Corporate Policy. Rather than confronting the employee or contractor with language about Corporate Policies, these cards can be provided as a reminder of the “tobacco free” status of our...

Articles of Interest

Smoking rooms are disappearing from hotels

A.W

The Economist

Smoke-free spaces on the the island of Ireland

Purdy, J. McAvoy, H. Cotter, N. and Mitchell, E

The Institute of Public Health in Ireland.

Research & Evidence

Preventing Tobacco Use among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General

US Department of Health and Human Services

Position Statement on Tobacco on College and University Campuses

American College Health Association

Brochures/Reference

Tobacco-Free Campus Implementation Guide

Tobacco-Free Campus Policy Implementation Guide

A resource designed to help college students adopt and implement a 100% tobacco-free campus policy

Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States. Nearly one-half million Americans still die prematurely from tobacco use each year, and more than 16 million Americans suffer from a disease caused by smoking. Despite these risks, approximately 42.1 million U.S. adults currently smoke cigarettes. And the harmful effects of smoking do not end with the smoker. Secondhand smoke exposure causes serious disease and death, and even brief exposure can be harmful to health. Each year, primarily because of exposure to secondhand smoke, an estimated 7,330 nonsmoking Americans die of lung cancer and more than 33,900 die of heart disease. Coupled with this enormous health toll is the significant economic burden. Economic costs attributable to smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke now approach $300 billion annually.

Adopting Tobacco-free Policies on Campuses

This guide is designed to assist with the creation of effective and enforceable tobacco-free policies for higher-education institutions.

State of Colorado Executive Order B 2018 011

Amending Executive Order D 0036 90 Regarding Smoking in State Buildings and Further Directing State Agencies to Take Action to Limit the Use of Tobacco Products, Vaping
Products, and E-Cigarettes by Youth

State of Oklahoma Executive Order 2013-43

Executive Order prohibiting the use of electronic cigarette or vaping device on any and all properties owned, leased or contracted for use by the State of Oklahoma, including but not limited to all buildings, land and vehicles owned, leased or contracted for use by agencies or instrumentalities of the State of Oklahoma.

External Resources

Tobacco-Free Workplace

Save Lives, Save Money: Make Your Business Smoke-Free

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

This brochure provides information on exposure to secondhand smoke in the workplace and the benefits to employers once a smoke-free workplace has been implemented.

NCI Tobacco-Free Policy

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

To protect everyone's health, NCI is completely tobacco-free (including e-cigarettes and any other electronic nicotine delivery systems or smoking devices). This policy includes visitors.

Tobacco Free Colleges and Universities

American Lung Association

Tobacco-free policies are a growing trend on college campuses across the United States. Today there are approximately 477 colleges and universities that are 100% tobacco-free, and more join the list every year! This list originated with the American Lung Association in Oregon, and has now gone national.

Going Smoke-Free at Colleges and Universities

Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights

Please review our list of Smokefree and Tobacco-Free U.S. and Tribal Colleges and Universities for more information. Please review our Colleges and Universities List Criteria, which outlines how to get on (and stay on) our list. See our model policy for a template.

Toolkits & Guides for Tobacco-Free College Campuses

Tobacco Free College Campus Initiative

The goal of this toolkit is to provide you with the resources and tools to help you institute a successful tobacco- or smoke-free campus policy; in other words, to make the changes you want to see on your campus.

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Tobacco-Free Workplace

Maintain a comprehensive tobacco-free workplace policy

Tobacco-Free Workplace