Research on smoking in the workplace / Emelda Gloria Sering ... [et. al]

The study on Smoking In The Workplace started on December 20th 2004 rmd the project officially ended November 11th, 2005. Most data is gathered from secondary sources while the primary data is obtained by handing out questionnaires to 100 persons in four organizations in Kuching. Twenty five persons in each organization were given the questionnaires. All questionnaires sent were successfully returned to the researchers although the responses to individual questions were not necessarily 100%.The study gathered responses from 80 smokers and 20 non-smokers. The primary data indicated that all four organizations have banned smoking in the workplace. An overwhelming 93% of the respondents agreed that there should be separate areas where smoking is permitted within the compound of the offices. 69% of the respondents are bothered by tobacco smoke while only 31% are not. When pressed further, 46 respondents are worried about the long-term health effects of secondary smoking (i.e. smoke inhaled by non-smokers) and 20 respondents will cough when someone smokes either nearby or within the same room. 45% of the respondents said that they would smoke less if they are not allowed to smoke in their work area. 44% mentioned that it is easy for them if they were not allowed to smoke at all in the workplace while 30% finds it a difficult thing to do. If they were offered help by the organization to quit smoking, 58% said that they would use it. On the respondents’ monthly cigarette spending, 32% spends between RM50 - RM100 while 39% spends between RM150 - RM250.