Need to smoke in the context of workplace smoking bans

Workplace smoking bans are now widespread in a number of countries and are generally well accepted by smokers. Little is known about smokers who do not cope well with smoking bans.

A survey of 669 smokers was conducted 2 years after the introduction of a workplace smoking ban. Variables associated with four different levels of need to smoke were examined.

Nine percent reported experiencing a strong need to smoke at work, 26% a mild need, 45% occasional need, and 19% reported no need. Stronger need was related to (P < 0.01): an index of addiction (higher daily smoking rates and fewer minutes to first cigarette of the day), violating smoking bans, going outside to smoke more, reducing consumption less since the bans, being less approving of the ban, and seeing it as inconvenient, seeing smoking as having less disadvantages (cons) and more advantages (pros), being less ready to quit, lower in confidence of quitting, and having less intention to quit. All of the above effects persisted after controlling for addiction, and the index of addiction only had independent relationships with going outside to smoke, reducing consumption less since the bans, higher pros of smoking and lower self-efficacy (P < 0.01).

There is a small subgroup of smokers who have not adapted well to workplace smoking bans, as well as the much larger subset who report less difficulty. While nicotine addiction plays a role in perceived need to smoke, a number of potentially changeable cognitive characteristics were independently related to need. Workplace smoking policies and programs could take such characteristics into account in addressing the problems these smokers face.