Prevention Matters

The Indiana University Center for Health Policy has issued findings from a comprehensive review of existing research about the health and economic impact of smokefree workplace laws. It's designed to clear up some of the confusion created by contradictory studies that flood the offices of lawmakers and policymakers. Among the findings:

• While secondhand smoke has been definitively linked to many kinds of health problems, the most significant health consequence related to secondhand smoke is death
• Smokefree workplace laws do not have a negative economic impact on restaurants and bars
• Smokefree workplaces save employers money.
• Servers, bartenders, dealers and other workers in restaurants, bars and casinos may regularly be exposed to high levels of secondhand smoke.