Working with the Hotel Industry to Adopt Smoke-Free Policies

* Audience: Public health professionals and tobacco control advocates new to smoke-free lodging work or planning to begin a smoke-free lodging program in their community. * Key Points: According to J.D. Power and Associates, 89% of hotel guests prefer to stay at a smoke-free hotel, but only 14% of hotels in the United States currently offer a 100% smoke-free hotel option. Smoke-free hotels decrease cleaning and damage costs, decrease the risk of fire, decrease hotel staff and guests’ exposure to secondhand smoke, simplify the room booking process, and lead to fewer complaints from guests. A vast majority of hotel owners and managers want to adopt smoke-free policies, but fear the loss of business and lack policy adoption knowledge. The Smoke-Free Lodging program in Minnesota has identified 280 smoke-free hotels in Minnesota and is currently working with over 70 hotels to support their smoke-free policies. The Smoke-Free Lodging program educates and assists hotel owners in smoke-free policy adoption and implementation through its policy guidebook, free publicity on the www.mnsmokefreehotels.org website, educational trinkets for hotel guests, and direct technical assistance to hotel owners. * Educational Experience: Through powerpoint and handouts, the presenter will provide tips, tools, and lessons learned from the Smoke-Free Lodging program on successfully assisting hotel owners in adopting smoke-free policies. * Benefits: Attendees will learn why working on smoke-free hotels is important. They will receive a policy handbook, sample policies, and legal information related to the adoption of smoke-free hotel policies.