New Hampshire Smoke-free Workplace Law

The NH Indoor Smoking Law was established in 1990 as the Indoor Smoking Act RSA 155:64-77 to protect the public from involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke. A major conclusion of the 2006 Report of the Surgeon General states, “The scientific evidence indicates that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.” Executive Summary, p. 9. In 2007, the Indoor Smoking Act – Amendment 42 was amended to prohibit smoking in all restaurants and cocktail lounges, further protecting the employees of those establishments from secondhand smoke exposure while working.

Helping Smokers in Your Workplace

The business case for addressing tobacco use in our workforce is a compelling one. Smoking is one of the nation's costliest health problems in human, social and economic terms. Given the significant investment that employers make in health insurance for their workers, it makes sense to consider investing in protecting the health of the workforce.

Tobacco use is estimated to cost employers more than $3,000 per year per smoker, due chiefly to absenteeism, lost productivity and increased costs for insurance. Adult tobacco cessation services rate the highest among 30 recommended clinical preventive services, based on health impact and value (cost-effectiveness).

What Employers and Labor Organizations Can Do

Here are some steps to consider:

• Effective cessation methods are available. Assess the return on investment of purchasing cessation services for your workforce.
• Partner with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services to implement QuitWorks-NH in worksites that have an on-site clinician (e.g. wellness manager, EAP, or nurse).
• Distribute information to your employers about the state's free helpline for people who use tobacco at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).
• Create an environment that is conducive to quitting and that supports tobacco users' quit attempts.

Update coming soon.