Presentation Transcript

1. Tobacco-Free Workplaces

2. Tobacco Use in Montana 1,400 Montanans die a year from a tobacco related disease In 2009, 16% or approx 118,00 Montana adults were current smokers In 2009, approx 50,000 men in Montana (12%) were smokeless tobacco users Every year tobacco addiction costs Montana more than a half-billion dollars. This includes $277 million in excess medical costs and $305 million in lost productivity
3. Why Go Tobacco Free? 1. Protecting your employees health Reducing the risk of lung cancer Reducing heart attacks Reducing heart disease Reducing upper respiratory infections
4. 2. Lower your costs Businesses pay an average of $2,189 in workers compensation costs for smokers, compared with $176 for non-smokers Smoking costs employers an estimated $3,391 per smoker per year. $1,1623 in direct medical expenditures and $1,768 in lost productivity
5. 3. Increase productivity and morale Employees who take four 10-minute breaks a day to smoke, actually work one month less than workers who don’t take smoke breaks 4. Reduce absenteeism Smokers, on average, miss 6.2 days of work per year due to sickness compared to non-smokers, who miss 3.9 days of work per year
6. 5. Reduce your liability Having a tobacco-free workplace reduces the risk of lawsuits being filed by employees who become ill from breathing secondhand smoke A tobacco-free workplace prevents violations of the Americans With Disabilities Act that result from limiting access by people with respiratory problems who cannot patronize or work in your business due to secondhand smoke
7. How Much Does Tobacco Cost You?
8. Three Steps to Making Your Workplace Tobacco-Free 1. Use your company’s health plan to help employees and their families quit using tobacco 2. Promote the Montana Tobacco Quit Line, 1-800-QUIT-NOW 3. Implement and maintain tobacco-free policies and initiatives.
9. Are Cessation Health Benefits Cost-Effective? Tobacco cessation health care coverage is more cost effective than most other common disease prevention interventions It costs between 10 and 40 cents per member per month to provide a comprehensive tobacco cessation benefit Employees who smoke average an increased payment for healthcare $1,145 versus $762 for non-smokers
10. Designing a Cessation Health Benefit Tobacco dependence treatment benefits that have been the most effective address the following: Pay for counseling and medications Cover or promote counseling services Offer all of the FDA-approved medications Eliminate co-pays or require employees to pay no more than the standard co-pay Provide at least two courses of treatment – both medication and counseling- per year Offer it to both your employee and spouse
11. What Cessation Medications are Available? Prescription pills Chantix Zyban, Wellbutrin Prescription Nicotine Replacement Therapy Nicotine Inhaler Nicotine Nasal Spray Over-the-counter Nicotine Replacement Therapy Gum Patch Lozenge
12. What Counseling is Available? Healthcare provider Local tobacco cessation groups Montana Tobacco Quit Line FREE service for all Montana residents For free materials or more information please go to: www.tobaccofreemt.gov
13. Developing a Policy Seek employee (staff & management) support Focus on the health and safety of everyone Provide real and visible opportunities for employee participation in planning and implementing the policy Maximize the potential for success Implement incentives that benefit your employees or patrons
14. Implementation Ideas Provide a countdown to implementation Offer healthy snack alternatives Provide tobacco cessation materials Recognize those who quit using tobacco in your company newsletter or bulletin Put up “Tobacco-Free Campus” signs around facility
15. Enforcing the Policy Distribute the written policy and enforcement procedures to all employees Provide a form to be kept in each employee’s personal file that states they have received a copy of the policy and agrees to abide by them Provide cessation materials to employee Fair and equal enforcement of the policy
16. Questions