WHAT IS NO BUTTS ABOUT IT?

Transcription

1 WHAT IS NO BUTTS ABOUT IT? QUIT SMOKING PROGRAM No Butts About It TM is a workplace quit smoking program designed to promote employee health by reducing the exposure of all employees to second-hand smoke and by assisting those employees who use tobacco products to cut down or quit. Smoking costs the Ontario economy an estimated $5.8 billion in productivity loss each year 1. Each employee who smokes costs employers $3,396 more per year than a non-smoking employee due to the costs associated with increased absenteeism and decreased productivity and the cost of maintaining outdoor smoking facilities 2. The majority of smokers are interested in quitting. In Canada, almost half of all smokers try to quit at least once each year 3. Workplaces are an ideal setting to help people quit smoking: Many people spend a good part of their time at work Workplaces are convenient places for people to receive information Workplaces can provide the supportive social environment necessary for quitting smoking Smokers can get support from employees and others who promote health in the workplace Smoke-free workplaces encourage employees who smoke to cut down or quit, and help those who are already smoke-free to stay that way 4 [PUBLIC HEALTH UNIT] is seeking a retail sector workplace with 100 or more employees to participate in this project. If your workplace is interested in participating or for more information, please contact [NAME] at (###) ### - #### ext. ### or XXX@XXX.com While young adults (18 34 years) have the highest smoking rates among all Canadians 3, there is a lack of evidence available on young adults reasons for smoking and on effective programming for this population. In addition to providing a quit smoking program in retail workplaces, the No Butts About It project is gathering relevant information for young adults working in the retail industry and designs the program to address this population.

2 WHY GET INVOLVED IN NO BUTTS ABOUT IT? ENHANCED CORPORATE IMAGE By reducing workplace exposure to known toxins such as tobacco, you as an employer demonstrate that you care about your employees. In doing so, you will enhance your corporate image and be viewed positively not only by your employees but also by the larger community. Employers that are committed to the health and well-being of their employees become workplaces of choice 5 REDUCED COSTS Cigarette smoking takes an enormous toll on business and industry in terms of health care and opportunity costs associated with absenteeism, disability, lost time, fires, insurance and liability 6 The Conference Board of Canada estimated in 2006 that it costs an employer approximately $3,396 each year for every employee who smokes 2 Creating a total smoke-free environment and provide support to smokers who want to quit may result in 7 : Lower insurance premiums e.g. fire, accidents related to smoking Lower maintenance and cleaning costs Lower annual healthcare costs and health insurance costs for nonsmokers Reduction in loss of skills, knowledge and corporate memory due to premature death and early retirement Lower life insurance premiums INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY On average, non-smoking employees take fewer sick days than employees who smoke 8 Non-smoking employees are less likely to take unscheduled breaks 2 IMPROVED EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING Employees are your organization s most important asset Non-smoking employees take fewer sick days, go on disability less often and are less likely to retire early because of poor health Most people want to quit smoking, but need and welcome support offered by their employers ENHANCED JOB SATISFACTION Employees recognize when their employers invest in their health and well-being When employees are healthy and have a strong sense of well-being, their morale and quality of work improves In this supportive environment, employees are more productive and feel a greater sense of loyalty 9

3 HOW NO BUTTS ABOUT IT WORKS Needs assessment - To identify employee tobacco use prevention and quit smoking needs at your workplace, we will invite all employees to participate in a workplace survey. This will determine the usefulness of this program for your workplace. Forming a workplace health committee will help us to customize No Butts About It to your workplace. This will ensure the program addresses your workplace s needs related to second-hand smoke and smoking. It will also identify workplace champions and will promote employee participation. Organizational changes You will be encouraged to look at your management practices, and your tobacco-related policies to find ways to create a workplace that is entirely smoke-free and clearly expresses its support of a tobacco-free lifestyle. Social changes Co-workers will be encouraged to help create a supportive environment and actively support employees who want to quit in their efforts. Evaluation we will conduct evaluation activities at the end of the program and 3 and 6 months after completion. You will be provided with a report presenting the perception, impact and outcomes of hosting No Butts About It at your workplace. NO BUTTS ABOUT IT SMOKING WORKSHOPS: Week One: Why Quit? ~ 1.5 hour Workshop at your workplace: Identifying benefits of quitting, barriers to quitting and support systems Learning how to track smoking behaviour Learning about Nicotine Replacement Therapy (such as the nicotine patch, inhaler or gum) and how to receive it for FREE (if eligible) Workshops could include family and friends who smoke Week Two: Quit Now! ~ 1 hour Workshop at your workplace: Developing a personalized quit plan Setting a quit date Preparing a quit kit Weeks Three to Five: Additional support At the workplace and referral to community supports Provides opportunity to seek additional information and support on a needs basis Week Six: Stay Quit. ~ 45 minutes Workshop at the workplace: Learning how to prevent relapse Learning about on-going support resources Evaluating satisfaction with No Butts About It Celebrating successes

4 COMMITMENTS OF NO BUTTS ABOUT IT PARTNERS [PUBLIC HEALTH UNIT] S COMMITMENT: No Butts About It will provide: - A comprehensive quit smoking program to your workplace including 5 weeks of FREE nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for eligible employees. - A facilitator will deliver the program to smokers who want to quit. We will conduct a needs assessment to identify employee tobacco use prevention and quit smoking needs at your workplace We will assist your workplace in forming a workplace health committee to help your company identify strengths and resources that will support successful implementation of the program Promotional materials we will collaborate with your workplace to promote No Butts About It and recruit participants through provision of posters, e-blasts, newsletters and prizes Tobacco-free policies we will support the development of a tobacco-free workplace environment Evaluation - we will provide you with feedback on how successful the project was in helping you create a tobacco-free workplace Sustainability we will train champions for ongoing support; explore long-term quit smoking medication options with you; and link employees to community supports THE EMPLOYER S COMMITMENT: Form a workplace health committee - use existing or develop a new committee to support program implementation in your workplace; provide committee members with time and space to meet during work hours Promote No Butts About It at the workplace and encourage employees to participate, ideally during work hours Enforce the Smoke-Free Ontario Act (SFOA), which prohibits smoking in enclosed workplaces and workplace vehicles Support the workplace health committee in developing tobacco-free policies that go beyond the SFOA Consider the possibility of co-paid or subsidized nicotine replacement therapies and prescription medication to support employees in their ongoing attempts to quit smoking long-term Participate in the evaluation of No Butts About It

5 NO BUTTS ABOUT IT COLLABORATIVE ABOUT THE NO BUTTS ABOUT IT COLLABORATIVE No Butts About It is a collaborative of four Ontario Local Public Health Agencies, Durham Region Health Department; Elgin St. Thomas Public Health; Ottawa Public Health and Toronto Public Health, researchers from the Program Training and Consultation Centre (Cancer Care Ontario) and the University of Waterloo, members of a research advisory committee from ECHO: Improving Women s Health in Ontario, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, Public Health Ontario, the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo, and the STOP study. This project is funded by Public Health Ontario. For more information, please see our website:

6 REFERENCES 1 Smoke-Free Ontario Scientific Advisory Committee. (2010). Evidence to guide action: Comprehensive tobacco control in Ontario. Toronto, ON: Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion. 2 The Conference Board of Canada. (2006). Smoking and the bottom line: Updating the costs of smoking in the workplace. Ottawa, ON: The Conference Board of Canada. 3 Health Canada. (2010). Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey (CTUMS) 2009 supplementary tables. Retrieved from 4 York Region Community and Health Services Department. (2010). Good business better health: A comprehensive guide for smoke-free workplaces. Newmarket, ON: York Region. 5 BC Healthy Living Alliance. (2010). The business case for tobacco-free workplaces in British Columbia. Retrieved 22 March 2011 from Yukon/Prevention/Get%20involved/BC%20Healthy%20Living%20Alliance/Tobacco%20free%20workpl ace%20initiative.aspx?sc_lang=en 6 Professional Assist Cessation Therapy (2007). Employers smoking cessation guide: Practical approaches to a costly workplace problem. Retrieved 22 March 2011 from endsmoking.org/resources/employersguide/pdf/employersguide-2nd-edition.pdf 7 The World Bank Group (2002). Smoke-free workplaces at a glance. Retrieved from siteresources.worldbank.org/intphaag/resources/aagsmokefreeworkplaces.pdf 8 Health Canada. (2007). Smoking cessation in the workplace a guide to helping your employees quit smoking. Ottawa, ON: Health Canada. 9 The Health Communication Unit. (2004). An introduction to comprehensive workplace health promotion. Retrieved from