Assess the Effectiveness of the Tobacco-Free Policy
Don’t stop after the effective date of the policy. As with other policies, the implementation of the smoke-free policy needs to be monitored for effectiveness. Monitoring allows you to tailor implementation and related cessation support and it allows you to report to management and employees about the impact of the policy.
Assessment the effectiveness of the tobacco-free policy in the short-term (first one to three months)
- Changes in exposure to secondhand smoke in the work environment
- Number of employees attending cessation activities or using self-help materials
- Awareness of the policy
- Employee attitudes toward policy and cessation activities
- Improved employee morale
- Less conflict between smokers and nonsmokers
- Enhanced quality of work
- Improved job satisfaction
Assessment the effectiveness of the tobacco-free policy in the long-term (three months to a year)
- Changes in number of employees who use tobacco
- Effect of cessation activities on successful quitting
- Changes in health risks for smokers and nonsmokers
- Enhanced corporate image
- Improved employee attitude toward health
- Reduced absenteeism
- Reduced healthcare costs
- Lower accident rate
- Decline in turnover
- Fewer sick days
- Improved productivity
You also may want to evaluate your policy over the longer term (e.g., one to three years). This step will require more effort and time, but it can provide valuable information, such as awareness of tobacco policy and smoking cessation activities, participation in smoking cessation activities, effectiveness of smoking cessation activities, and management support and tobacco policy enforcement.
All policies and activities need to evolve to meet the changing needs of the organization and employees. Assessment data can help you to justify changes in the policy or activities to meet these changing demands. You will need to tailor the concepts so that they will work in your setting, but these steps have been tested and proven in various environments.
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