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Smoking Cessation
Cigarette Smoke as a Public Health Problem
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disability in the United States, yet one out of every four American adults is a smoker. It is estimated that annual U.S. deaths from tobacco-related causes exceeds 430,000. Costs to employers for medical treatment, early death and disability, lost work time, and decreased productivity are staggering.
Benefits of Quitting
- The Office on Smoking and Health reports that even heavy, long-term smokers can realize health benefits from quitting.
- Employers save money when smokers quit smoking. The American Lung Association conservatively estimates that an employee who smokes costs the employer $1,000 per year vs. a comparable level non-smoking employee.
FOH Smoking Cessation Programs
Over the past two years, well over 1,000 Federal employees report they have quit smoking by enrolling in an FOH smoking cessation program.
The most popular FOH Smoking Cessation Program (the NRT program) includes:
- A smoking history and evaluation during a personal intake/counseling interview
- Participants are guided in generating a personalized, written quit plan
- A four week supply of nicotine patches or nicotine gum are provided
- Participants may return to their health center to receive follow-up counseling, support, and problem-solving assistance.
Key FOH Smoking Cessation Program Advantages:
- Simple to initiate and administer
- Appeals to all demographic groups
- Available anywhere in USA
- Great cost/benefit ratio. The NRT program costs only $140 per person
- Designed from the ground up for the government workplace
- Emphasis on increased utilization of EAP services, which is very important since many smokers need assistance with substance abuse or mental health problems in order to sustain a long-term quit.
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LEARN MORE!
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Click here to test your knowledge on the effects of second hand smoke
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Click here to view the Surgeon General's 2004 Report: The Health Consequences of Smoking on the Body
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Click here to view questions and answers about FOH’s Smoking Cessation programs
Other suggested Internet resources:
- Click here for an online layperson’s guide to quitting smoking
- Click here for an online guide to quitting and contact information to experts that can help
- Click here for information on controlling your weight while you quit smoking
- Click here to learn the reasons that you smoke and the best way to quit
- Click here to learn more about smokeless tobacco
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