Do you know the difference between smoking versus vaping, and how it impacts your workplace?
With the increased popularity of vaping and e-cigarettes, it is becoming important for businesses to have a clear company policy. Most workers are aware companies have policies around smoking. However, in a recent study, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, workers were unclear on whether their workplaces had policies on vaping.
WLSS can help your company build a policy to reflect these changes.
What is Vaping or Electronic Cigarettes?
Electronic cigarettes (also known as e-cigarettes) deliver nicotine and/or other chemicals to the user via an aerosol vapour. Typically they are battery powered devices, designed to look like a cigarette.
E-cigarettes vaporise the contents of a refillable cartridge. Hence the term ‘vaping’.
Unlike tobacco cigarettes, electronic cigarettes do not contain or burn tobacco. It is the smoke from the burning of tobacco that causes harm.
Benefits Versus Risks
Vaping is often promoted as a safer alternative to smoking. As they don’t burn tobacco, there is no smoke. Therefore there is a reduced risk of passive smoking.
However, there isn’t a lot of reliable evidence that using e-cigarettes helps smokers to reduce traditional cigarette use.
As they are largely made by independent factories, products might be of unknown quality. Therefore compromising safety of the product.
E-cigarettes and vaping is relatively new to the market. Only becoming mainstream over the past decade. Therefore, no long term research into the health effects is readily available.
Does Your Company have a Policy on Vaping?
Although e-cigarettes may be a useful aid in quitting smoking, it is still important to establish clear workplace policies surrounding vaping and the use of e-cigarettes, as there is limited information available about their safety.
Not only do business owners need to comply with WHS legislation, in regards to ensuring the health and safety of workers and others in the workplace, there is also the Tobacco Products Regulation Act 1997.
In the interest of public health, the SA Government has accepted recommendations from a Select Committee on E-cigarettes. The committee recommended e-cigarettes be regulated in line with the Tobacco Products Regulation Act 1997.
This Act prohibits smoking in all enclosed workplaces, including:
- Offices
- Shops
- Factories
- Work Vehicles
What next?
WLSS can help your company build a policy to reflect these changes.
If you need help to build your policy, or a review of any current policies, call us today on (08) 8322 2279.
If you, or your workers, want to quit smoking, contact Quitline
