Smokefree England : Employers

Employers want a smokefree England

A survey of 501 business decision makers in England conducted by Continental Research in August 2006 showed overwhelming support amongst employers for smokefree:

  • 91% agreed that people at work have the right not to breathe in other workers’ smoke
  • 79% said they would support a law which made all workplaces smokefree
  • 83% agree that there should be no smoking in all enclosed workplaces and public places
  • 58% felt creating a smokefree workplace would have a positive effect on staff
    health, rising to 73% amongst respondents from the hospitality industry

The top three benefits of smokefree legislation identified by businesses were:

  1. Health benefits (26%)
  2. Better working environment (14%)
  3. Cleaner/hygiene (14%)

International evidence suggests that popular support will increase even further once smokefree legislation is implemented, for example:

  • In Ireland, the smokefree law was voted the no.1 ‘high’ of 2004 by the RTE national New Year’s Poll. Those in favour of smokefree pubs and restaurants grew from 67% before the legislation was introduced to 82% after it was fully implemented and was almost universal by the one year anniversary of the legislation:
    • 93% thought the law was a good idea, including 80% of smokers.
    • 96% of people felt the law was successful, including 89% of smokers.
    • 98% believed that workplaces are now healthier because of the smoke-free law, including 94% of smokers.
  • In Scotland, just one month after the country went smokefree, 69% of pub goers agreed with the legislation, up from 56% in May 2005 and 67% against the legislation at the end of 2004. A Cancer Research UK poll of 545 workers six months after Scotland went smokefree, revealed that three-quarters of bar staff thought the legislation would improve their health in the long term.
  • In New Zealand, public approval of smokefree pubs and restaurants rose from 79% in 2003 to 91% in 2005.
  • In New York, support grew from 60% just after the introduction of their smokefree legislation in 2003, to 80% in 2005.
  • Across the 25 EU countries, support for smokefree pubs and bars is highest in those countries that are already have comprehensive smokefree laws, with Ireland having the highest proportion of their populations “totally in favour” (71%).

 

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