News and Events

The Importance of Creating Comprehensive Tobacco-free Worksite Policies
November 26, 2019

It is no secret that tobacco use is harmful. Despite our knowledge of the multitude of carcinogens and toxins in tobacco, people still use it during work hours. According to the Center for Disease control, tobacco use in the workplace accounts for the most loss of work productivity compared to other causes such as family emergencies or alcohol abuse (1).

As of July 1, 2019, e-cigarettes are included in the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act (FCIAA) which means they are prohibited from indoor use, however, that does not stop individuals from taking smoke breaks to use these devices, and other tobacco products, which cost their employers money. The loss of productivity for a business with smokers is estimated to cost $4,056 in productivity and $2,056 in medical costs per year (2).

Businesses that create tobacco-free worksite policies protect the health and wellbeing of their employees. This type of worksite policy may encourage employees who use tobacco to quit the habit, especially if the tobacco-free policy includes cessation help for those who currently use tobacco or e-cigarettes - this is important in encouraging employees quit attempts because a large percent of adults who currently smoke, have tried to quit.

Businesses creating tobacco-free worksite policies and enhanced worksite wellness programs that include cessation coverage is currently a trend across the U.S. Companies are really jumping on board with providing expanded services for employee wellness programs, and many of the employers who have established wellness programs found them to be cost-effective (3).

Each owner or manager of a business or community organization can take a step to improve the health of employees and boost their bottom-line through tobacco-free worksite policies. We are beyond proud of our local business that have implemented comprehensive Tobacco Free Policies here in DeSoto County: DeSoto County School Board, DeSoto Memorial Hospital, and DeSoto County Chamber of Commerce just to name a few.

For more information or for help in creating a tobacco-free worksite policy, please contact the QuitDoc Foundation at info@QuitDoc.com

References
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(1) Centers for Disease Control. (n.d.). Implementing a tobacco-free campus initiative in your workplace. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/hwi/toolkits/tobacco/

(2) Berman M, Crane R, Seiber E, et al. Estimating the cost of a smoking employee
Tobacco Control Published Online First: 03 June 2013. doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2012-050888

(3) Attridge, M. (n.d.). EAP integration with worksite wellness programs. Retrieved from http://www.eapassn.org/EAPIntegration