Reduce Tobacco Use
Tobacco use is a leading cause of illness, premature death, and health care costs in the U.S.[1] Health care costs for smokers exceed those of nonsmokers by an average of $1,900 per person per year.[2] In terms of time spent away from work and self-reported productivity while at work, smokers are $1400 per year less productive than nonsmokers and $900 per year less productive than employees who are former smokers.[3] 18% of adults in Minnesota and 20% in the U.S. are current smokers.[4] 70% of those smokers want to quit.[5] And, in any given year, nearly 60% of smokers will try to quit.[6] Unfortunately, nicotine is addictive and only about five percent of smokers quit successfully each year.[7] Here are three proven strategies for reducing your employees' tobacco use. Choose one to start or, if possible, combine all three for a national best-practice approach and maximum impact. Endnotes
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Tobacco-free workplace policy
A tobacco-free workplace is one of the most effective, far-reaching and lasting approaches to reducing employee tobacco use. All indoor workplaces in Minnesota are now required by law to be smoke-free. Extending your organization’s tobacco policy to cover workplace grounds provides additional support for your employees who want to quit smoking.
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Stop-smoking programs
Individuals who use a tailored stop-smoking program are more than five times as likely to quit smoking successfully as are smokers nationwide.[8] Everyone in Minnesota has access to a tailored stop-smoking program. Discover which resources are available and how to promote them to your employees.
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Covering the cost of quit medications
Using a quit medication along with a tailored stop-smoking program versus using a stop-smoking program alone doubles the likelihood that an attempt to quit smoking will be successful.[9] The vast majority of smokers (80%) would use a quit medication if cost were not an issue.[10]
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