Go the Extra Mile...Help your Staff to Stop Smoking

20th June 2012

WHY SHOULD AN ORGANISATION HELP ITS STAFF TO STOP SMOKING? 1.

It is the proper thing to do as a responsible employer! Involvement in this scheme will reflect to your staff that their health is of paramount importance to you as their employer. 2. It makes business sense: smokers take more annual days of sickness leave and in the UK smoking breaks typically account for £48,000 of lost time annually for every 100 employees (around 30 of whom will typically be smokers). 3. It is easy to do so using the Workplace Stop Smoking Scheme, a free service being run jointly between Sheffield City Council and the Sheffield NHS Stop Smoking Service. HOW COULD YOU GO ABOUT DOING THAT? Give Lucy Ball, Health Promotion Officer, a call on 0114 273 4616, or email: Lucy.Ball@sheffield.gov.uk WHAT DOES THE SCHEME INVOLVE? An NHS Stop Smoking Adviser can talk to you and your employees and give you information and materials about stopping smoking, how to access NHS support programmes and how the scheme can be used flexibly to suit your workplace. Questionnaires can be provided to find out how many of your employees smoke and would like to give up. Stop smoking clinics can be set up at your workplace where there are more than 5 smokers who would like to take part. WHAT DO STOP SMOKING CLINICS INVOLVE? Stop smoking clinics take place weekly over a period of seven weeks, which includes support for at least the first four weeks of the quit. Information is available on various forms of medication, including nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), and arrangements are made for the smoker to receive a prescription for these products. Personal carbon monoxide readings are taken each week, as they provide motivation through the demonstration of the instant health benefits to stopping smoking. Smokers are up to four times more likely to succeed in their quit attempt with the support of the Stop Smoking Service and medication, than going 'cold turkey' alone. WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I HAVE LESS THAN 5 SMOKERS IN MY ORGANISATION? Where there are less than 5 smokers who want to give up, information can be given to these employees about the other ways the Sheffield NHS Stop Smoking Service can help. WHAT DOES THE SHEFFIELD NHS STOP SMOKING SERVICE PROVIDE? One-to-one stop smoking clinics and group clinics are provided across the city at over 150 pharmacies, GP practices and dental practices and at other community venues. There is also a specialist midwife support service for pregnant women and their families in their homes and a telephone support programme. For further details see http://www.smokefreesheffield.co.uk or contact the Sheffield NHS Stop Smoking Service on 0800 068 4490.