{"id":12765,"date":"2019-12-02T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-02T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wellable.co\/blog\/tobacco-use-isnt-going-away-its-becoming-more-insidious\/"},"modified":"2022-11-04T05:57:34","modified_gmt":"2022-11-04T09:57:34","slug":"tobacco-use-isnt-going-away-its-becoming-more-insidious","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wellable.co\/blog\/tobacco-use-isnt-going-away-its-becoming-more-insidious\/","title":{"rendered":"Tobacco Use Isn\u2019t Going Away\u2014It\u2019s Becoming More Insidious"},"content":{"rendered":"

Time and time again, studies prove that tobacco is dangerous to the human body. It causes lung disease, cancer, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, premature aging, and more. In fact, nearly every organ in the body can be damaged by tobacco.<\/p>\n

Decades of public awareness campaigns, featuring stark images of tar-stained lungs, and anti-smoking laws and court cases have all heavily influenced society\u2019s perception of cigarette use. Consequently, the population of users has steadily decreased over the years\u2014until recently.<\/p>\n

According to an analysis<\/a> by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this trend may be changing. While the number of cigarette smokers continues to drop, the number of people using e-cigarette and other tobacco products is rising. Unfortunately, the total population of tobacco (and not just cigarette) users seems to be steadying out.<\/p>\n

Data collected showed that one in five workers in the U.S. currently uses a tobacco product. By industry, tobacco use ranged from 11% of those in education, to well over 34% of workers in construction. At best, this means that any company with at least 10 employees can expect to have at least one tobacco user.<\/p>\n

The CDC also noted that using more than one tobacco product has become more common. Using multiple products just makes it more difficult for people to quit, as well as increases risk of disease.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind<\/h2>\n

Anti-smoking laws, product regulations, and social stigma have all pushed smoking cigarettes out of sight, but this makes the problem more insidious. In particular, it\u2019s vaping that has boomed in recent years. It\u2019s easy to assume that an employee who is never seen smoking does not use tobacco. However, employers need to be concerned about all types of tobacco use, especially as trends shift.<\/p>\n

Vaping is less restricted when it comes to use inside and around buildings, and there\u2019s not as much of a stigma compared to cigarettes. Even for those who worry about social pressure, electronic cigarettes are easy to conceal\u2014some are as small as a pen or flash drive. It\u2019s an easy and quick habit to partake in on the way to lunch or in between meetings.<\/p>\n

Encouragingly, the dangers associated with vaping continue to be more widely reported and acknowledged. However, it\u2019s still considered a \u201chealthier\u201d alternative to cigarettes, despite being just as addictive.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Identifying High-Risk Groups<\/h2>\n