Ways to Help Your Employees Quit Smoking

Smoking Cessation

As employers, improving the health and well-being of your employees can be challenging, and one of the many health issues commonly faced by employers is smoking. Cigarette smoking is a hard habit to break once it starts, but helping your employees quit smoking can be an excellent way to address this concern and reduce overall care costs. Offering your employees the support they need to quit smoking can help give them the incentive they need to quit finally, and one way you can do that is through a tobacco-free program. Through this article, we’re here to explore the prevalence of tobacco smoking among employees and how you can get started with helping your employees quit smoking for good.

Smoking as A Prevalent Issue in The Workforce

Smoking cigarettes remains one of the largest causes of preventable disability, disease, and death in the United States. Even employees who don’t smoke can still be exposed to the effects of secondhand smoking, and while tobacco products such as menthol cigarettes have begun to decline, other methods of nicotine such as hookahs and e-cigarettes have increased in recent years. Smoking accounts for over 480,000 deaths each year, or about 1 in every five people die each year from the after-effects of smoking. At least 14% of Americans consider themselves smokers, which is about 34.1 million people, making cigarette smoking an ever-prevalent issue that needs constant attention.

In the workforce, the highest percentage of smokers are miners (30%), food and accommodation services (30%), and construction industries (29.7%), according to the CDC. It’s important to face these challenges to help improve employee health by reducing tobacco and secondhand smoke exposure, and it’s essential to outline to employees the benefits of quitting smoking through programs that can help. As an urgent care practice with a focus on employee health, we can help!

How To Help Your Employees Quit Smoking

Even while the benefits of quitting smoking can be thoroughly outlined, helping your employees quit smoking can be a long-lasting challenge. Enforcing no-smoking policies and establishing programs can work, but these methods often require personalized attention to employee well-being and mental health to be able to address these issues more clearly. Here are some ways you can help your employees quit smoking for good:

  • Set Up Health Meetings: Through cooperating with your local urgent care facility and your employees, setting up meetings once a week can help provide support for those wishing to quit smoking.
  • Create Tobacco-Free Programs: Tobacco-free programs can be a great investment, as nicotine replacements and behavioral replacements for smoking can be offered to help remove addiction symptoms.
  • Lead By Example: If you are a current smoker, then you can lead your team by example by taking part in the programs and challenges within your workplace.
  • Provide Rewards and Encouragement: Overall, encouragement and compassion are some of the best ways to remove your employees from smoking cravings and help your employees remain smoke-free longer.

Smoking cessation programs can be an excellent investment overall, and through the help of resources from your local urgent care team, you and your employees can receive ongoing support that truly pays off.

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Linda Clark, NP

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