Signage for Outdoor and Indoor Venues – 11/2/06

Q: The Virginia Governor has issued an Executive Order banning smoking in all executive offices, with a couple of exceptions. I have been placed on a committee to help establish the policy for VDH in the hopes that other state agencies will adopt the same. The committee is interested in signage for outdoors and some indoor venues. Have any states created their own "No Smoking Area" and Designated Smoking Area" Signs? If so, could I please see what they look like.

A:

1. Arkansas: Visit Arkansas’ Clean Indoor Air website.
    
2. Hawaii: Hawaii's smoke-free law goes into effect on November 16, 2006. Go to the Hawaii Dept of Health website, click on signage and also the "additional resources" for samples of signage we're using.
    
3. Massachusetts: Massachusetts has created a number of signs. Click to access the PDFs of the two most common. Scroll down to near the bottom of the page and you will see a link for signs. Ignore the order form - it is out of date information. Click to access restroom signs that are available now.
    
4. Michigan: Click to access Michigan’s clearinghouse. There is a thumbnail picture of MI’s smokefree building decals and clings along with other tobacco related resources.
    
5. New Hampshire: New Hampshire posted signage in the Minor League Stadium in Manchester, New Hampshire. The "Wouldn't you rather..." piece was chained to the gate of the "smokers pen" so that all the smokers passed it on their way into the designated smoking area.
    
6. North Carolina: Think carefully about where your designated smoking areas will be - away from entrances and air intakes (as these are the "no smoking" areas of the immediate future) and make your signage as brief and specific as possible. Also REMOVE any ashtray or disposal device far from the entrance. It doesn't matter where you put it, the location of the ashtray will become the smoking area! For instance, our Health Department Buildings had a traditional "No Smoking" sign at the entrance. This somehow didn't seem to deter people from smoking directly next to it, especially since there was an ashtray for last minute disposal of butts! We purchased signs (English and Spanish) that said "No smoking at entrance. Use designated area only (arrow)" Instead of facing outward, the signs face employees as the exit the door. Our courthouses had continued to be an INDOOR problem, despite a long-time no smoking policy indoors. The security staff was already overburdened. Since everyone has cell phones, we tried this solution (with security's permission). "This is a no smoking building. If you see violations, please call XXXXXXX" We gave them the number of the security office in the building. The violations went to nearly zero, and security to could catch people while they still had the lit cigarette!
    
7. Oklahoma: See http://breatheeasyok.com/Decals.html
    
8. Rhode Island: The following are links to the Rhode Island signs that were developed when the smoke-free law took effect on March 1, 2005.
    
   • English version
   • Spanish version
    
   Staff also developed an order form for businesses to use when ordering materials.
    
   Click to access additional materials including sample policies.
    
9. West Virginia: West Virginia can provide sample signage and a copy of the West Virginia Division of Personnel policy (to compare to your new Exec Order). We contracted with a private agency years ago for them to develop some signs. There is a document with suggested wording for signs. We tried to be creative to give folks an idea of how they could make their own signs.

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