Article discussion: Workplace smoking bans and work-related stress

I thought this research article, The association between workplace smoking bans and self-perceived, work-related stress among smoking workers, by Azagba and Sharaf, merited discussion on a number of points.

First, this article examines unintended consequences of public health interventions. While this is a required part of biomedical clinical trials, this is not a routine part of the literature for public health. The emotional and social investment that are tied to policies and other social interventions can actively interfere with objective evaluation.  So it is great to see researchers and journals support this line of inquiry.

Secondly, this also concerns the work environment as an outcome. This is a dominant aspect (at least in terms of time) of most of our lives, but it is not addressed in proportion to its importance.

The study's strengths include its use of longitudinal data, a sample that is representative of the Canadian population ethnically and geographically, and also enrolls a wide variety of occupations. The data also contain information on a wide variety of covariates, including health status and drinking status, that allowed for better modeling and analysis.

Work-place smoking bans were positively associated with perceived work-related stress for smokers. When examining effects separately for age and gender, the associations were only significant for males and for younger workers (18-40). These associations remained even after adjusting for the effects of variables such as marital status, drinking status, health status, province of residence and type of occupation.

There was no association between workplace smoking bans and work-related stress for nonsmokers. While this may sound like "duh", it is important that the "common sense" assumption was actually verified by data. It might also not be "common sense". Some nonsmokers have indicated that they would actually go more frequently and enjoy public places such as restaurants and bars if there were smoking bans. So examining the data and trying to understand the complexity of the relationships between nonsmokers and smokers is beneficial.

The authors don't call for rescinding smoking bans based on their research, and neither would I. This type of research can point out the additional facets of a smoking policy intervention that would be beneficial for optimizing employee outcomes, such as stress management training and assistance with smoking cessation and access to pharmacological aids.

I hope in the future that objective and subjective data on people's work environments are integrated into health surveillance systems in the United States.

Right Concentration

The eighth and final component of the path is Right Concentration. Right Concentration means developing the ability of the mind to focus onto one particular object, through bringing unity and direction to one's thoughts. Focus helps us achieve clarity, which in turn brings us to another cycle of the path.


Meditation has many uses, and one can certainly use classic meditation practices and subjects to develop an overall enhanced concentration ability of the mind that will reflect in the professional sphere. Alternatively, one can also develop very specific patterns and practices related to our discipline.


For example, just as data is not the equivalent of information, knowledge is not the equivalent of wisdom.  Try contemplating a single idea or finding, instead of trying to cram as many new facts in the limited amount of time that we have for professional development, or thinking about your responses and emotions related to the object of your contemplation.  Consistent practice increases capacity, just as it does with developing our physical abilities.