Smoking affects the health of your business

$3,391—that's the average additional cost to a business each year for each employee who smokes. It includes the smoker's additional direct medical costs and additional losses in productivity, according to the American Cancer Society.

The Cancer Society also reports that ex-smokers enjoy a higher quality of life with fewer illnesses and reduced the number of lost days from work.

Improve the health of your business. Here is a sampling of tips to consider for your quit-smoking program:

1. Offer on-site cessation classes, counseling or self-help groups. Offering support, formal and informal, is essential. Otherwise the abstaining smoker will fall off the wagon at some point. Studies show that one-on-one or group counseling increases the quitting success rate.
2. Provide employees the tools they need to quit. Suggest employees use the The Ultimate Quit Smoking guide. Make online tools or a telephone- or web-based cessation program available. These programs may be offered through your organization's health plan or can be purchased through an outside vendor. Give employees access to these programs from work, since some employees may not have access to a computer at home.
3. Use an incentive program to those who have successfully quit smoking for six months or more. Incentives could be a monetary bonus, a full or partial refund of cessation class fees or expenses, a prize or a gift certificate.
4. Offer cessation programs to spouses as well as employees. It will be easier for the employee to quit or remain smoke-free if the spouse is smoke-free as well.

Use SFM's Wellness Works webpage for more resources and helpful ideas for promoting wellness in your workplace. Watch SFM's upcoming Companion newsletter and emails for more wellness topics including nutrition, obesity and physical fitness.

Wellness in the news

• Women smokers more likely than men to develop heart disease
• New information added to Chantix label
• Objectwave Corporation provides new wellness White-Label Smartphone application
• Passage of state smokefree laws slows
• Cigarette warnings get graphic