Making the outside of bars tobacco-free could impact social smoking

2/21/2012

Employee wellness programs can help workers quit smoking, which may improve the health of the staff and reduce healthcare costs that come from treating tobacco-related conditions. While cigarette bans in bars and workplaces have been shown to reduce heart attack rates in some areas, they haven't curbed "social smoking," which is when individuals smoke only in certain situations, such as while they are drinking at a party.

Recently, a study published in the journal Tobacco Control determined that extending cigarette bans to include the outside of bars could also curb social smoking, since study participants reported that they usually engage in this behavior when they go out drinking with friends.

Furthermore, almost every person surveyed said that extending tobacco bans would help them cut down on their own smoking.

"Such a policy would eliminate the current intersection between smoke-free and smoking spaces and create a physical barrier that, for some, would make accessing the smoking zone too difficult," concluded study authors.

Nurse practitioners at on site clinics can also help workers cut down on their alcohol consumption. This is important, since study participants reported that drinking kept them from feeling guilty about the number of cigarettes they were smoking.

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