BUSINESS - HEALTHCARE

Regulations on vaping in the workplace are piecemeal at best, with less than half of states explicitly banning e-cigarette use in workplaces. With more service and industry workers back in the workplace again since the COVID-19 pandemic, regulations on workplace vaping to protect employee health have never been more important.

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Vaping in public spaces is a cause for concern for a number of reasons. E-cigarettes degrade indoor air quality and expose bystanders to risks associated with secondhand exposure, according to a 2020 review published in the Annual Review of Public Health. E-cigarettes also generate indoor particle concentrations similar to those produced by cigarettes, including toxic compounds such as aldehydes and heavy metals and aerosols that have potential respiratory and cardiovascular effects in humans.

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A series of pioneering peer-reviewed research articles from Truth Initiative published in academic journals reveal that vaping pervades the workplace with more than three-fourths (76%) of e-cigarette users vaping at work, triggering the urge to smoke and vape in nearly half of tobacco users. In the first study to look at vaping rates in medium and large U.S. workplaces, Truth Initiative finds that vaping is ubiquitous and bothersome to many.

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The research also shows high levels of support (73.5%) for e-cigarette-free workplaces from those who don’t vape — the majority of any workforce — as well as from e-cigarette users themselves (53.5%). Given the numerous drawbacks of vaping at the workplace and widespread support for a vape-free environment, it’s no surprise that most adult e-cigarette users (62%) have plans to quit e-cigarettes for good. However, although quit-vaping support is important to the vast majority (84.8%) of employees, only one-third (31%) of workplaces have such cessation programs in place.

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The health risks of vaping in shared workspaces — especially risks to lung health — threaten the safety of employees as they return to in-person work in environments with the ever-present risk of COVID-19 and other respiratory issues. Findings from these studies speak to the clear need for employers to address gaps in workplace policies and to provide employees with support to quit vaping and the reason to adopt new technology that can assist administrators in effectively enforcing rules regarding vaping on campus.

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