Policies on smoking in the casino workplace and their impact on smoking behavior among employees: Case study of casino workers in Macao

Chan, Sow Hup; Pilkington, Paul; Wan, Yim King Penny

Abstract

Exposure to second hand smoke (SHS) is a major health concern. This study sought to examine the smoking behaviors of casino workers in Macao, and explore how workplace smoking policies might affect that behavior. A majority of casino workers who smoked believed that exposure to SHS at work makes it harder to quit smoking, while over a quarter minded people smoking near them at work because of that reason. Over half of the workers believed that they would try to quit smoking if no-one was allowed to smoke in their workplace. The findings demonstrate how smoke-free casinos could lead to a healthier workforce, not just due to reduced exposure to dangerous chemicals in SHS, but also from the potential reduction in smoking among workers. The hospitality industry, and policy makers in government, should ensure that casinos, and their workforce, are not excluded from smoke-free legislation. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2012
• Deposit Date: Aug 6, 2013
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 15, 2016
• Journal: International Journal of Hospitality Management
• Print ISSN: 0278-4319
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 728-734
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2011.09.009
• Keywords: casinos, second hand smoke, smoke-free legislation, workplace health policies, smoking cessation
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/944163
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2011.09.009
• Additional Information: Corporate Creators : Faculty of Business Administration, University of Macao, Institute for Sustainability, Health and Environment, UWE
• Contract Date: Nov 15, 2016