The Kansas Indoor Clean Air Act protects the health of Kansas employees every day from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke while in the workplace. Businesses are also becoming increasingly sensitive to wellness practices in the workplace that promote employee health.  We encourage you, the employer, to continue to look at comprehensive tobacco free policies and cessation support as part of a health and wellness plan that makes sense for your business!

Why is TFW focusing efforts to assist businesses and worksites?

We recognize that you as an employer can play a crucial role in the health of your employees, which also makes business sense. The costs of employee tobacco use to an employer are significant. Direct costs to the employer include healthcare costs associated with tobacco use. Indirect costs include lost productivity, absenteeism and recruitment and retraining resulting from chronic disease, disability and death related to tobacco use.

As an employer, I have a number of other competing issues to address with employees. Why does TFW think addressing tobacco use is important?

Tobacco use is still the number one preventable cause of death and disease in Kansas. It is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and other common chronic diseases. Since tobacco use has such a tremendous impact on employees’ overall health, comprehensive tobacco policies not only protect employees, visitors, and customers from environmental tobacco smoke, but support tobacco cessation efforts.

What is the purpose of comprehensive tobacco policies in the workplace?

Having comprehensive policies in place to prevent tobacco use not only supports cessation efforts but also let’s you make decisions about other tobacco products that may not be covered by existing law. Tobacco cessation continues to be one of the most cost-effective measures to reduce health care costs and increase productivity at the workplace. For this reason, adopting tobacco-free policies and providing worker benefits and services that support prevention and cessation of tobacco use can work for you.

What resources are available to help me?

To help you get started, our coalition partner the American Cancer Society has a free Tobacco Policy Planner to access your current tobacco policies. After you complete the survey and receive your detailed report, the information can help create new or enhance existing workplace tobacco polices and programs.  This resource can assist employers in creating a safe, healthy environment that enhances employee well-being, while improving the company’s bottom line.

ACS Tobacco Policy Planner 

For Employee Tobacco Cessation Resources

Vaping in the Workplace