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In 2014 to 2015, 80.2% of adults aged 18 years and older reported a smoke-free work environment.
Introduction
Conclusive scientific evidence documents that secondhand smoke (SHS) causes premature death and disease in children and adults who do not smoke. Exposure to SHS by adults has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system, and long-term exposure to SHS causes coronary heart disease and lung cancer. Children exposed to SHS are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slowed lung growth.
Today, comprehensive smoke-free laws, covering public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars are increasingly the norm. Additionally, smoke-free polices now extend to private spaces, including cars and multi-unit housing.
Numerous states, cities, and jurisdictions have implemented comprehensive smoke-free policies to protect employees and the public from the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke. The non-profit organization, Americans for Non-Smokers’ Rights, tracks the status of smoke-free policies at both the state and local level. As of October 2, 2017, 25 states and over 900 municipalities have adopted comprehensive smoke-free policies for workplaces, restaurants, and bars.
Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), including e-cigarettes, are battery-powered devices designed to heat a liquid, typically containing nicotine, to produce an aerosol for inhalation by the user. Secondhand aerosol contains nicotine, fine and ultrafine particles, metals, and other toxicants. At least 430 cities and several states prohibit the use of ENDS products in places that prohibit smoking of cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Measure
The percentage of indoor workers reporting a smoke-free work environment.
The percentage of the population protected by local and state smoke-free indoor air laws covering workplaces, restaurants, and bars. This measure draws on data collected and analyzed by the Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation. Use of this information allows the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to include both local and state laws in its assessments.
Healthy People 2020 Target
- Increase the proportion of persons covered by indoor worksite policies that prohibit smoking to 100 percent.
- Increase the number of jurisdictions (states and Washington, D.C.) with smoke-free indoor air laws that prohibit smoking in public places and worksites to 51.
Healthy People 2020 is a set of goals set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Note: Goals are indicated as blue line on Detailed Trend Graphs.
Data Source
National Cancer Institute. Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Supplement for “work place smoke-free policies” measures.
Americans for Nonsmokers Right Foundation. “Percentage of the population covered by local and/or state 100% smoke-free air laws”.
Trends and Most Recent Estimates
Smoke-free Workplace Rules
By Sex
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2014 to 2015) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of workers | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Both Sexes
|
80.2 | (79.7 - 80.6) |
Male
|
77.6 | (76.9 - 78.2) | |
Female
|
82.5 | (82.0 - 83.0) | |
By Race/Ethnicity
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2014 to 2015) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of workers | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
All Races
|
80.2 | (79.7 - 80.6) |
Non-Hispanic White
|
81.8 | (81.3 - 82.3) | |
Non-Hispanic Black
|
78.5 | (77.0 - 79.9) | |
Hispanic
|
74.1 | (72.4 - 75.7) | |
By Age
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2014 to 2015) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of workers | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Ages 18-24
|
75.1 | (73.5 - 76.7) |
Ages 25+
|
80.9 | (80.4 - 81.3) | |
By Sex and Age
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2014 to 2015) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of workers | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Males, ages 18-24
|
72.0 | (69.7 - 74.2) |
Males, ages 25+
|
78.3 | (77.7 - 79.0) | |
Females, ages 18-24
|
77.8 | (75.7 - 79.8) | |
Females, ages 25+
|
83.2 | (82.7 - 83.7) | |
By Poverty Income Level
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2014 to 2015) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of workers | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
< 200% of the federal poverty level
|
74.8 | (73.7 - 75.9) |
>= 200% of the federal poverty level
|
81.7 | (81.2 - 82.3) | |
By Education Level
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2014 to 2015) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of workers | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Less than High School
|
69.1 | (66.9 - 71.3) |
High School
|
76.4 | (75.3 - 77.3) | |
Greater than High School
|
83.0 | (82.5 - 83.5) | |
Indoor Air Laws
| Overview Graph | Detailed Trend Graphs | Most Recent Estimates (2016) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percent of population | 95% Confidence Interval | ||
|
Workplaces
|
73.4 | Not available |
Restaurants
|
77.2 | Not available | |
Bars
|
65.2 | Not available | |
Evidence-based Resources
State-level data are available on the risk of smoking and the implication of smoke-free laws in bars, restaurant and the workplace. These data are available on State Cancer Profiles. These data can be used to prioritize cancer control efforts and develop action plans.
Additional Information on Smoke-free Workplace Rules and Laws
For the public
- Health Risks of Secondhand Smoke. American Cancer Society.
- Ending the Tobacco Problem: Resources for Local Action. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.
- Second-Hand Smoke Exposure. National Cancer Institute.
- 50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2014. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Scientific reports
- Increasing prevalence of smoke-free homes and decreasing rates of sudden infant death syndrome in the United States: an ecological association study. Behm I, Kabir Z, Connolly GN, Alpert HR. Tob Control 2012;21(1):6–11.
- Smoking restrictions in bars and bartender smoking in the United States, 1992–2007. Bitler MP, Carpenter C, Zavodny M. Tob Control 2011;20(3):196–200.
- State smoke-free laws for worksites, restaurants, and bars – United States, 2000–2010. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR 2011;60(15):472–475.
- Vital signs: nonsmokers’ exposure to secondhand smoke – United States, 1999–2008. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR 2010;59(35):1141–6.
- Association between smokefree laws and voluntary smokefree-home rules. Cheng KW, Glantz SA, Lightwood JM. Am J Prev Med 2011;41(6):566–72.
- Occupation and workplace policies predict smoking behaviors: analysis of national data from the current population survey. Ham DC, Przybeck T, Strickland JR, et al. J Occup Environ Med 2011;53(11):1337–45.
- Parental home smoking policies: the protective effect of having a young child in the household. Hawkins SS, Berkman L. Prev Med 2011;53(1–2):61–3.
- National and state estimates of secondhand smoke infiltration among U.S. multiunit housing residents. King BA, Babb SD, Tynan MA, Gerzoff RB. Nicotine Tob Res 2013 Jul;15(7):1316-21.
- Home smoking bans among U.S. households with children and smokers. Opportunities for intervention. Mills AL, White MM, Pierce JP, Messer K. Am J Prev Med 2011;41(6):559–65.
- The role of worksite and home smoking bans in smoking cessation among U.S. employed adult female smokers. Rose A, Fagan P, Lawrence D, Hart A Jr, Shavers VL, Gibson JT. Am J Health Promot 2011;26(1):26–36.
- About the Report on Carcinogens. National Toxicology Program, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Battling tobacco use at home: an analysis of smoke-free home rules among U.S. veterans from 2001 to 2011. Zhang X, Martinez-Donate AP, Cook J, Piper ME, Berg K, Jones NR. Am J Public Health 2014 Sep;104 Suppl 4:S572-9.
Statistics
- Cancer Facts and Figures. American Cancer Society.
- National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.
- State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation System. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.