News and Events
Local Employers Benefit from Adoption of Tobacco Free Workplace Policies
November 16, 2017
Trenton, Florida – A growing trend finds workplaces making big strides in supporting the health and well-being of their employees by adopting tobacco free workplaces and providing cessation resources to employees who use tobacco.
Locally, a good example in the county would be the Gilchrist County School District, which provides a tobacco free workplace, and supports their employees’ efforts to quit smoking by providing cessation resources to their employees. They are also able to use insurance benefits for cessation support such as nicotine replacement medications and doctor’s visits for support. Additionally, the district has advertised the Quit Your Way program, offered by Tobacco Free Florida, to employees to further encourage the benefits of a tobacco free lifestyle.
The free Quit Your Way program allows employees to call, go online, or even attend face-to-face cessation classes, many of which have been hosted at their places of employment in order to support tobacco cessation efforts.
One of the primary reasons an employer chooses to adopt a tobacco free workplace is the high cost associated with tobacco use at work. Pack-a-day smokers are estimated to have 75% more lost productive time during the work day than their non-smoking co-workers, and healthcare costs are an average of 34% higher than those who do not use tobacco. (Estimating the cost of a smoking employee, 2013) In Florida, the average loss in productivity annually for a tobacco user at the workplace is $4,056. The average extra medical expense for tobacco users is $2,056. (Estimating the cost of a smoking employee, 2013.)
Tobacco Free Grounds policies also support employees in their attempts to quit, helping them to change their habits and avoid temptations to smoke.
For more information about adopting a tobacco free workplace, visit www-tfp-gilchrist.org or contactTracy Decubellis at TracyD@QuitDoc.com. To learn more about the Quit Your Way program, visit TobaccoFreeFlorida.com/QuitYourWay.
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Berman M., Crane R., Seiber E., & Munur M. (2013). Estimating the cost of a smoking employee. Tobacco Control. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2012-050888
