Unlocking healthier workplaces: a guide to supporting your staff in quitting smoking and vaping

At Allen Carr’s Easyway, we believe that fostering a smoke- and vape-free workplace environment isn’t about compliance; it’s about empowering individuals to embrace a healthier lifestyle by breaking free from behaviours that make them feel trapped.

This approach benefits employees while also enhancing organisational productivity and wellbeing.

With National No Smoking Day on 12 March, employers can lead the charge and support their teams in the journey to quit smoking and vaping.

Photograph: iStock/MarcBruxelle

Benefits of supporting smoking cessation

Encouraging employees to quit smoking yields numerous benefits:

• Healthier workforce and reduced absenteeism – reduced smoking-related illnesses lead to fewer sick days and increased productivity.
• Positive work environment – promotes a supportive workplace culture that prioritises wellbeing.
• Cost savings – lower healthcare costs, decreased absenteeism and presenteeism contribute to financial savings for the organisation.

Practical tips for employers on running a programme

When implementing a smoking cessation programme, it’s crucial to strike the right balance. An overly forceful approach may be met with resistance. Instead, gentle, positive and humorous prompts are more likely to resonate with smokers and vapers, encouraging their desire to quit.

Here are 11 practical tips on how to run such a programme:

Planning your campaign

1. Assess employee needs

Begin by understanding the smoking usage of your staff. Conduct surveys or informal discussions to gain insights into their level of interest and readiness to quit. Additionally, if you plan to include employees’ partners and dependants in your programme, assess their smoking and vaping levels as well.

2. Create a supportive environment

Foster a workplace culture that encourages quitting. For example, clear smoking/vaping areas and promoting a non-judgmental atmosphere.

3. Set clear goals

Define measurable objectives for your programme, such as expressions of interest, the number of participants, cessation rates or reduction in smoking breaks. This helps in evaluating the success of your campaign and measuring return on investment.

Resources and support

1. Workshops

Organise sessions led by healthcare professionals like Allen Carr’s Easyway to help users to quit. Worksite and public seminars are delivered either in person or online. Be mindful of the needs of shift workers and be aware of busy times of the year that you may want to avoid.

2. Access to NHS services

Direct employees to National Health Service (NHS) smoking cessation services. In a growing number of areas this includes the drug-free method, Allen Carr’s Easyway.

3. Promotional materials

Obtain smoking cessation promotional materials from NHS or Allen Carr’s Easyway. These can include posters, leaflets and digital content to raise awareness.

In-house campaign strategies

1. Launch events

Kick off your programme with a launch event to generate enthusiasm. This could feature personal testimonials from ex-smokers among staff and distribution of programme materials.

2. Rewards and incentives

Consider offering incentives for participation or successful cessation milestones. These could range from gift vouchers to additional days off, reinforcing positive behaviour change.

Monitoring and evaluation

3. Feedback

Establish channels for feedback to gauge employee satisfaction and identify areas for improvement in the programme.

4. Regular updates

Keep employees informed about programme progress, upcoming events and available support resources through internal communication channels.

5. Celebrate success Recognise and celebrate achievements, such as quitting milestones or significant reductions in smoking rates, to sustain motivation and commitment.

Implementing a smoking cessation programme requires thoughtful planning, effective communication and access to appropriate resources. Employers play a crucial role in supporting employees to quit, contributing to a healthier workplace and fostering a culture of care and wellbeing. Every step towards a smoke-free workplace benefits both individuals and the organisation.

Practical tips for smokers on how to quit

If you are producing promotional messages and collateral for No Smoking Day, here are 10 top tips you can pass on to encourage staff to stop smoking:

1. Set your date and time to stop

Carry on smoking as usual right up to that time – don’t try to cut down beforehand, that just makes cigarettes seem precious when, in reality, they are not actually providing a genuine benefit.

2. Remember – you’re not giving up anything

Cigarettes do nothing for you. They seem to make you feel better – but remember – all each cigarette does is end the period of dissatisfaction created by the previous one. That’s how drug addiction works. That’s how we are fooled into thinking we like smoking – or at least get some form of help from it.

3. Have a final cigarette

You’re going to give up smoking easily so make a solemn vow. There’s nothing to give up – you’re getting rid of something. Have your final cigarette and make a solemn vow that regardless of what highs or lows may come up in future, you will never smoke or take nicotine in any form again.

4. Be cool about withdrawal symptoms

Your body will continue to withdraw from nicotine. The physical withdrawal is very slight, painless and passes quickly. What’s more, smokers experience this all their smoking lives but non-smokers do not. As a non-smoker you’ll soon be free of it forever.

5. Socialise as normal

You won’t be craving a cigarette so there’s no need to avoid smokers. Do not try to avoid smoking situations or opt out of life. Go out and enjoy social occasions right from the start and do not envy smokers.

6. Think about smoking

Don’t try to ‘not to think’ about smoking – it doesn’t work. If I say: ‘Don’t think about a banana’, what are you thinking about?

7. There’s no such thing as ‘just one cigarette’ after you quit smoking

The next cigarette is the continuation of a problem not the solution. Understand that each cigarette simply momentarily relieves the discomfort caused by the previous one. That’s how addiction works. The more you experience the effect the more convinced you are that the cigarette is solving the problem rather than causing it.

8. Avoid substitutes and vaping

Nicotine patches, gums, nasal sprays and vapes make it more difficult to stop because they perpetuate the illusion that you’re making a sacrifice and they keep you addicted to nicotine.

9. Ditch your cigarettes

You are already a non-smoker the moment you put out your final cigarette. Do not keep cigarettes on you or anywhere else in case of an emergency. If you do, it means you’re doubting your decision. Non-smokers do not need cigarettes.

10. Enjoy your freedom

Live a smoke-free life and be on your guard not to fall back into the trap. If your brain ever starts playing tricks on you by thinking ‘just one cigarette’, remember there is no such thing.

The rise of vaping among staff

Vaping has become prevalent among staff, including those who never smoked before. Despite its popularity, vaping is not safe. It is often perceived to be safer than smoking, but the long-term health effects are still being evaluated, and it can lead to nicotine dependency.

Photograph: iStock/coldsnowstorm

Why and how employers should support vapers to quit

Vaping has been promoted as a ‘healthier’ alternative to smoking, but many vapers find themselves just as trapped as smokers – chained to their devices, anxious when they can’t vape and struggling to quit. This dependency has a significant impact on their mental health, leading to increased anxiety and stress.

Why employers should support vapers to quit

1. Increased productivity and focus

Vapers, like smokers, suffer a cycle of distraction – constantly thinking about their next fix, taking breaks and struggling to concentrate. Helping employees quit removes this constant distraction, allowing them to focus fully on their work.

2. Reduced sick days and improved health

Vaping is not ‘harmless’. Emerging evidence highlights its negative health effects, including lung problems, cardiovascular issues and dependency.  Employees who quit vaping experience fewer respiratory illnesses and have better long-term health, meaning fewer sick days and greater workplace wellbeing.

3. Compliance and reputation

Many workplaces already have policies restricting vaping but enforcing them can be a challenge. A proactive approach to quitting removes the need for policing and enhances the company’s reputation as a caring and forward-thinking employer.

How employers can help vapers quit

1. Recognise that vaping is a trap – not a choice

Vapers don’t ‘choose’ to vape; they are trapped in the illusion that they need it to relieve stress, focus, or enjoy life. The truth is, the stress, lack of concentration and cravings are CAUSED by vaping itself.

2. Provide access to a proven quit method

Willpower-based methods often fail as they leave vapers feeling deprived. Instead, employers should address the root cause – the belief that vaping provides benefits. Allen Carr’s Easyway has helped millions quit nicotine – without willpower, fear or weight gain.

3. Offer incentives for quitting

Consider offering incentives such as covering the cost of a reputable quit programme, extra wellness benefits or recognising employees who successfully quit.

Paul Baker is CEO designate at Allen Carr’s Easyway.

For more information see:

allencarr.com

nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/