The dangers of secondhand smoke exposure have been well documented, yet smoking is still permitted in many workplaces. In 2014, approximately 782,000 non-smoking employees in Georgia were exposed to secondhand smoke at work. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recommends all workplaces become tobacco-free and provide tobacco cessation support for employees. Similarly, the CDC Guidelines for School Health Programs to Prevent Tobacco Use and Addiction as well as Healthy People 2020 recommend increasing tobacco-free environments in schools, including all school facilities, property, vehicles, and school events. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which Georgia public schools have developed, implemented, and enforced a policy that creates a 100% tobacco-free environment for faculty/staff.
METHODS:
Data from the 2014 Georgia School Health Profiles Survey, completed by 299 principals, were analyzed to describe the status of tobacco-free policies as worksite wellness policies for faculty/staff in Georgia public and charter middle and high schools.
RESULTS:
While 96% of Georgia public middle and high schools have adopted a policy prohibiting tobacco use, only 60% of schools follow the CDC-recommended model tobacco-free policy which prohibits tobacco use at all times by students, faculty/staff, and visitors in school buildings, at school functions, in school vehicles, and at off-site school events. The resources most needed for enforcement of tobacco-free school policies were educational materials, tobacco-free school signage, and example public service announcements (PSAs). Only 17% of middle and 18% of high schools have promotion of cessation services to faculty/staff as a component of their tobacco-free school policy enforcement plans. About 28% of middle schools and 23% of high schools have arrangements with outside organizations or health care professionals to provide cessation services for faculty/staff.
CONCLUSIONS:
Tobacco-free school policies can reduce exposure to secondhand smoke and can motivate smokers to quit. However, support for cessation of tobacco use is lacking in Georgia public schools. Increased awareness of public health resources for cessation, such as the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line, PSAs and visible tobacco-free school signage, can help to fill this gap.