ORIGINAL PAPER
Solving the problem of smoking in the Polish enterprises during 2003–2015
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Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Łódź, Poland
(National Centre for Workplace Health Promotion)
Online publication date: 2017-11-17
Corresponding author
Elżbieta Korzeniowska
Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, National Centre for Workplace Health Promotion, św. Teresy 8, 91-348 Łódź,
Poland
Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2018;31(3):261-80
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ABSTRACT
Objectives: Tobacco smoking is a major organizational, economical, and public relations-related (PR-related) problem for the
company. Moreover, it is an important health determinant of the working population. The paper reports the results of the
research which analyzed the current state and the tobacco control activities’ transformations undertaken by Polish employers
between 2003 and 2015. Material and Methods: Data comes from the research performed in 2006, 2010 and 2015, involving random-
selected representative samples of Polish enterprises, employing no fewer than 50 employees. The sampling pattern covered
location and classification of activities (excluding public administration, national defense, social security, education, health
care and social assistance sectors). Consecutive interviews were conducted with representatives of 611, 1002 and 1000 companies,
respectively. Results: The companies improved their compliance with the national regulations on smoking in the workplace.
The strategy for limiting smoking in public places resulted in a steady increase in the number of companies (11%, 23%, 38%,
respectively) that introduced smoking ban. Approximately in every second company, smoking was allowed only in the smoking
room or outdoors. Voluntary activities (e.g., education and support for employees wishing to cease smoking) were very rarely
undertaken by medium and large companies (several percent) and since 2010, when the law had become more restrictive, such
tendency reinforced. Employers also were seldom interested in the prevalence of tobacco smoking among their personnel, its
consequences for the company’s functioning and the effectiveness of the implemented tobacco control measures. Conclusions: National anti-smoking policy caused that companies were more focused on smoking-bans at the expense of education and support
for those who wanted to cease smoking. Although this contributes to reducing secondary smoking in the workplace, the
companies’ potential to become a major agent for tobacco control policies is neglected while the downward trend of smoking in
the Polish society has slowed down. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2018;31(3):261–280