Tobacco Documents Online

Services of Mead Data Central, Inc. LEVEL 1 - 6 OF 55 STORIES Copyright (c) 1990 Gannett Company Inc. GANNETT NEWS SERVICE May 1, 1990, Tuesday PAGE 15 SECTION: BUSINESS 0 & A LENGTH: 1027 words KEYWORD: BI'ZQA. BODY: Since 1:986, when the Surgeon General cited "passive " smoking~as a cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, lighting up in public has become as socially acceptable as playing a boom box in a library. Nowhere has opposition to smoke beenimore apparent than i'n the workplace. Surveys by the American Society for Personnel Administration found 54 percent of companies restricted smoking in 1987, up from 36 percent the year before. day, 60 oercent of cam anies restrict smoking - and 24 percent of those ban it from the wnrknlacP Pn irelv, accordinq to the Smoking Policy Institute, a Seattle consulting firm. 0(1ESTION: How is smoking viewed in management ranks? ANSWER: Along with non-smoking policies has come a profound shift in corporate culture and a case of culture shock for many of the nation's 50 million smokers. T~ype-A managers with overflowing ashtrays were once admired for their work habits. Now many feel shunned because of their tobacco habit. As evidence of health:risks continues to pile up, the unspoken question at many companies is, " Lf you're so smart, why don't you qui't? " 0: How has a particular company handled the smoking issue? A: Peer pressure cleared the air at The Putnam Funds in Boston. In 1980, about 10 of the 40 people at the firm's bi-weekly financial strategy meetings would light up. Today, no one does. " No one ever said a word to me, but it became apparent that it was no longer acceptable, " says Charles Porter, a pipe smoker and the executive vice president of Putnam. Non-smokers got the message across with half-joking tactics, such as moving ashtrays to the opposite end of thq table from a smoker. Although Putnam doesn't have a formal smoking rule, smoke also disappeared from the lunchroom, leaving private offices as the las t sanctuary. That's where Porter lights up. 0: How about a company that doesn't have a formal smoking policy? A: Of course, you can still find a few smoke-filled rooms in corporate America. But they're an endangered species. ''Most people - non-smokers a re clearly in the majority - think we're crazy,'' says George Page, executive editor of the TV series Nature, which is produced by WNET In New York. Page says he still smokes in front of his non-smoking, fitness-oriented boss, " but sometimes you get kidded about it. " 0: What are some arguments against smoking indoors? A: A 1989'Environmental Protection Agency report called tobacco smoke ''a major source of indoor air pollution. " The EPA estimates that passive smoking ® m ® ® ~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ -EXJ~ ~~~~~

Services of Mead Data Cent'ral; Ina PAGE 16 (c) 1990 GANNETT NEWS SERVICE, May 1, 1990 in the workplace causes as many as 5,000 lung cancer deaths a year among non-smokers. Tobacco tars can remain in a non-smoker's lungs for five months. Closing the door to a smoker's office only limits peak exposure, not the average intake of carcinogens over the long term, the EPA says. Tobacco companies arg ue that the harmful effects haven't been proven, but most employers figure that's not the point. To be or the 5afe side and to head off the threat of lawsuits from non-smoking employees, they're banning or limiting smoking in the workplace. Q: Are there any figures on smoking affecting work performance? A: Smoking costs companies about 6 65 billi'on a year in absenteeism and higher health care bills, according to the Office of Technology Assessment. A four-year study by Control Data Corp. found that pack-a-day smokers generated insurance claims 18 percent higher than non-smokers. Tobacco lobbyists say the results are skewed because a disproportionate share of smokers work dangerous blue-collar jobs. G: Can smoking change a person's perception of another? A: At some companies, smokers are fighting an image problem. More and more they're perceived as being weak-willed for continuing to smoke. At companies where smoking is relegated to designated areas, workers must take a break to visit the sin bin, linking tobacco with a poor work ethic. Smoking also~is increasingly associated with lower skill levels; 35.7 percent of high school dropouts smoke vs. 16.3 percent of college graduates. Q: Is it true the boss sets the smoking-no smoking workpace? A: When the boss is a fitness buff, restrictions on smoking are likely to be strict, policy consultants say. Take Packaging Corp. of America in Chicago. President Monte Haymon, an ex-smoker and marathon runner, says the policy at corporate headquarters reflects his personal philosophy: Don't do it on the j ob: That makes non-smoking " tantamount to a condition of employment," Haymon says. The company also provides a gym and a health food cafeteria for the 250 headquarters workers. ''We think that (healthy employees) translate into effi'ciency and productivity in the workplace,'' Haymon says. fl: How do most smokers handle smoking policies? A: Employment services say that only about t percent of their clients look for new jobs because they couldn't live with the smoking policy at their previous offices. In fact, smokers would rather switch than fight. Enrollment in stop-smoking classes increases sixfold when a company adopts restrictions, the Smoking Policy Institute says. 0: How do most smokers feel about workplace restrictions? A: In a 1983 Gallup poll, 75 percent of smokers said they favor workplace restrictions an smoking. Gore & Associates, which makes the waterproof material Goretex at plants in Maryland and Delaware, is an example. When the company put plans for smoking policies to an employee vote last year, a majority of smokers favored the strictest option: smoking only outdoors. LEXIS'NEx e s'LEXIs"wEXIs0

Services of Mead Data Central„ Iho: (c) 1990 GANNETT NEWS SERVICE, May 1, 1990 PAGE 17 Q: Has there been: proven discrimination against smokers? A: During the 1980s, several companies adopted a severe smoking policy: They quit hiring smokers. Northern Life Insurance Co. i~n Seattle pared the number of smoking~employees to nine, down from 50 in 1983, with a hiring ban. ''We were always told that's a legal form of discrimination, 'President Robert Pugmire says. Q: Are there any laws protecting smokers rights? A: Last year, Oregon adopted a law protecting smokers' right to work, and 11 other states are considering similar measures. Whether smokers' rights laws pass or not, the smoking habit is likely to remain socially unacceptable. SUBJECT: CORPORATION; SMOKING; EMPLOYEE; POLL; QUESTION AND ANSWER' Tyt LEXIS'AlEJtf15'L@JCIS'A°EXAS'