Public Comment Sought on Draft Document for Workplace Tobacco Policies

Press Office Contact: Stephanie Stevens

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is seeking public comment on a draft Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB) Promoting Health and Preventing Disease and Injury through Workplace Tobacco Policies. The public comment period is open for 30 days, closing on September 15, 2014. Occupational safety and health practitioners, healthcare professionals and the general public are encouraged to review the document and provide comments by visiting https://federalregister.gov/a/2014-19384.

“While public health efforts to prevent disease and injury caused by tobacco use have had substantial beneficial impact, millions of workers still use tobacco products and smoking is still permitted in many workplaces,” says NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “This draft document is aimed not just at preventing occupational injury and illness related to tobacco use, but also at improving the general health and well-being of workers.”

The current draft CIB: Promoting Health and Preventing Disease and Injury through Workplace Tobacco Policies adopts a Total Worker Health™ approach, which integrates occupational safety and health protection with health promotion, including smoking cessation programs, to prevent worker injury and illness.

The CIB addresses the following topics:

• Tobacco use among workers
• Exposure to secondhand smoke in workplaces
• Occupational health and safety concerns relating to tobacco use and secondhand exposure
• Electronic nicotine delivery systems
• Workplace interventions to reduce tobacco product usage and secondhand exposure

Also included in the CIB are NIOSH’s recommendations and a list of additional resources for those seeking assistance with tobacco cessation or additional information about workplace interventions.More information about NIOSH can be found at www.cdc.gov/niosh.