The attitudes of occupational health personnel to smoking at work

Attitudes of occupational health care professionals toward smoking and their activity to address smoking issues were investigated by a questionnaire survey. Data were also collected on employees' exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and on smoking policies that existed in workplaces. Questionnaires were mailed to all occupational health care centers (n = 1,004) in Finland. The prevalence of daily smokers was 9.6% among physicians and 3.6% among nurses; 15% and 11%, respectively smoked occasionally. Smoking restrictions were enforced in more than 70% of all workplaces, but only 3.6% of them had a total smoking ban. Nonsmoking professionals were in favor of smoke-free workplaces and smoking restrictions significantly more often than their smoking colleagues. Nonsmokers also regarded smoking as a serious problem to the organizational climate of workplaces. Almost half of nonsmoking respondents, but only 11% of daily smokers, would totally ban smoking in workplaces. Although the personal smoking status of the respondent had a strong effect on attitudes to smoking regulations, it did not have a clear influence on interest in discussing smoking issues when seeing patients. Nurses were more active in addressing smoking issues than physicians. Occupational health professionals of large companies reported stricter smoking policies at work than those who represented small enterprises. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.