The workplace is a major source of SHS exposure for many adults.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the federal agency responsible for health and safety in the workplace, is concerned about SHS as a possible carcinogen at work. And recommend that exposures be reduced to the lowest possible levels.
SHS in the workplace has been linked to an increased risk for heart disease and lung cancer among adult non-smokers. The Surgeon General has said that smoke-free workplace policies are the only way to prevent SHS exposure at work. Separating smokers from non-smokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating the building cannot prevent exposure if people still smoke inside the building. An extra bonus, other than protecting non-smokers, is that workplace smoking restrictions may also encourage smokers to smoke less, or even quit