Tobacco in the Workplace

Although the proportion of workers who smoke tobacco or who are exposed to secondhand smoke in the workplace has declined over the past several decades, many workers remain susceptible to the harms of tobacco smoking.

The percentage of workers who smoke cigarettes varies by industry and occupation. The highest percentages of workers who smoke are in mining (30%), accommodation and food services (30%), and construction (29.7%) industries.¹ Smokeless tobacco use is relatively frequent among workers in the mining (18.8%), wholesale trade (8.9%), and construction (7.9%) industries.²

The use of emerging tobacco products, including hookah and electronic vaping products (EVPs) or e-cigarettes, has increased in recent years. E-cigarettes were introduced in the United States in 2007 so little is known about long term health effects. In 2014, an estimated 5.5 million working adults were current e-cigarette users.³ Many states have laws to prohibit smoking and tobacco use in the workplace. As of June 2022, 17 states have passed laws that specifically prohibit e-cigarette use in the workplace.⁴ Employers can also enact policies that restrict smoking and tobacco use in the workplace. In a survey of employees in the United States, nearly half of respondents (48.4%) reported that their employer had a written policy addressing e-cigarette use and majority (73.5%) supported e-cigarette-free workplaces, including the majority of current e-cigarette users (53.5%).⁵ NIOSH provides recommendations and resources that protect workers from the hazards of using tobacco, that help employers prevent workplace exposures to secondhand smoke, and that promote the overall well-being of workers.