A fourth of N.C. workers unprotected by smokefree policies

A spokesperson for the NC Alliance for Health and the American Cancer Society point out that a Senate committee's new version of a workplace smoking ban bill probably does not protect a lot of workers in private workplaces in this state, though hard numbers are difficult to come by.

A spokesperson for the groups said Wednesday that the new version of H2, which mostly protects workers (and customers) in bars and restaurants from secondhand smoke, may cover less than 7 percent of all businesses in this state. That's according to a 2002 U.S. Census survey. And a 2007 survey showed that more than one fourth of all N.C. workers are not covered by a smokefree workplace policy.

Here's the data:

Based on data from US Census 2002, restaurants and bars account for approximately 6.6 % of all businesses in NC. Those indoor worksites would be protected from secondhand smoke exposure under the current Senate version on HB2. All of the remaining indoor private worksites may or may not have an existing voluntary policy to regulate smoking.

According to 2007 BRFSS (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) data, 26.8% of all workers in NC are not covered by a smokefree workplace policy. This percentage not covered by a policy is much greater in blue-collar workers and service workers compared to white-collar workers.