Workplace smoking restrictions in China

Introduction: The implementation of worksite smoking restriction policies has shown significant effects on protecting non-smoking workers, reducing intensity of smoking, and promoting employees' smoking cessation. China has the largest populations of smokers and passive smokers in the world. However, few studies have addressed worksite smoking restrictions in China.

Objective: To assess the coverage and restrictiveness of smoking restriction policies in indoor work environments and the relationships between these policies and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure at workplaces among non-smokers and smoking behavior among smokers in China.

Design, Setting, Outcome: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,698 participants in three provinces in China, using a standardized questionnaire on smoking and SHS administrated by trained investigators.

Results: Only 28.5% respondents reported that their indoor workplaces had a smoke-free policy. Non-smokers that reported no policy were 3.7 (Adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 3.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.3, 10.1) times more likely to be exposed to SHS than those working in a smoke-free work site. Smokers working under smoke-free policies smoked 3.8 (Adjusted mean difference=3.8, 95% CI=-0.5, 8.0) fewer cigarettes per day than those working in non-restrictive workplaces. Those complying with a smoke-free policy were 1.3 (Adjusted OR=1.3, 95% CI = 0.4, 4.0) times more likely to express a desire to quit smoking than those reporting no policy in their workplaces.

Conclusions: Workplace smoke-free policy was related with a reduction of SHS exposure and smoking frequency and it is highly recommended as an effective tobacco control strategy in China, along with other support programs.