Santé Publique France launches a new site to promote prevention in the workplace

The site Employers for Health Public Health France offers a range of prevention tools, as well as information, advice and examples of successful prevention actions.

The leading cause of preventable premature mortality, daily smoking still affects a quarter of employees and is a source of non-communicable diseases leading to many work stoppages. Preventing smoking remains a major health issue for employers, which is why Santé Publique France is launching a new website dedicated to health in the workplace on this theme.[1].

An incentive for employers to commit to employee health

The Employers for Health website has several purposes: to raise awareness among employers about the dimension of health in the workplace, to promote actions already undertaken in certain establishments and to provide prevention tools. It is aimed at both private and public sector players, regardless of the size of the structure.

This site challenges employers by reminding them of the regulatory obligations regarding tobacco and vaping, which are prohibited in the workplace. It also encourages them to go beyond these obligations by transforming the workplace into a smoke-free space, following the model of smoke-free hospitals and universities. However, such measures must be accompanied by actions encouraging employees who smoke and vape to question their consumption and to begin the process of quitting. No Tobacco Month is often the opportunity for these types of actions, which can be initiated throughout the year and echo this national campaign beyond the month of November alone.

Information, advice and prevention support

The site provides information that encourages people to take preventive action. By indicating that two out of three smokers want to quit smoking, it seeks to reassure employers, who too often fear that preventive actions will interfere in the private lives of their employees.

It also refers to the many prevention tools and supports published by Santé Publique France on the subject of smoking, several of which are specifically dedicated to prevention actions in the workplace. These documents include methodological advice for setting up prevention actions, awareness leaflets and a series of posters dedicated to the professional context. Examples of successful actions in the public sector also allow you to imagine how to transpose them to your own work environment. Links are also provided to structures specializing in prevention in the workplace, such as Addict'Aide Pro or ESPER (Les Entreprises et les Services Publics s'Engagent Résolument).

Since the dissemination of good practices is one of the necessary conditions for properly conducting prevention actions in professional situations, this site can constitute a reference base for both managers and occupational health services.

Keywords: Employers for Health, Public Health France, prevention, professional environment, smoking

©Tobacco Free Generation

M.F.

[1] Employers for Health, Public Health France, consulted on 1^er June 2022