Major U.S. Tobacco Company to Ban Smoking in Its Offices

On the evening of October 24, Beijing time, CNN reported that Reynolds American, the second-largest tobacco company in the U.S., will prohibit its employees from smoking in most of its office spaces starting next year. The company stated that it is considering designating specific indoor smoking areas for smokers, but smoking traditional cigarettes, cigars, and pipes in office spaces and meeting rooms will be banned.

The company is the manufacturer of Camel cigarettes.

The company stated that employees and visitors will be allowed to use smokeless tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, during work hours.

“We believe we are doing the right thing, and the timing is right. We are now offering our customers a full range of smokeless products,” said company spokesperson David Howard. “Not smoking will make our work environment more pleasant for both employees and visitors.”

The spokesperson also mentioned that the percentage of smokers among the company's employees is similar to the percentage of smokers among U.S. adults. According to data from the CDC, the smoking rate in the U.S. was 18.1% in 2012, down from 24.4% in 2005.

The company has implemented a smoking ban in its restaurants and fitness centers for several years.

According to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, less than half of U.S. employees are covered by workplace smoking bans. States like Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, which are traditional tobacco-growing states, do not have such regulations.

Currently, Reynolds is in the process of acquiring Lorillard, the third-largest tobacco company in the U.S., for $27.4 billion, a deal expected to be completed in the first half of next year.