More companies expected to become smoke-free More smoke-free companies expected: [A Edition]

Abstract

The long-awaited study, which found that cigarette smoke has "a serious and substantial public health impact" on nonsmokers, is likely to lead to more lawsuits and workers' compensation complaints from people who believe their health has suffered because of other people's smoke.

The report estimated that secondhand smoke causes 3,000 cancer deaths annually and designated cigarette smoke a group A cancer-causing agent, a category that includes benzene, arsenic and radon.

He said banning smoking helps cut down on absenteeism and requests for work transfers from people affected by cigarette smoke. Allowing smoking, on the other hand, will hit a business in its medical costs, [Leon Lemaire] said, either in its health-benefit costs or its workers' compensation insurance.