The majority of people by now are well aware that smoking is a harmful and sometimes fatal addiction. In New Zealand alone this product kills 13 New Zealanders a day and 5000 of us each year. So why do people still smoke?

Tobacco contains nicotine, an addictive substance which can make it often very hard and frustrating to quit this habit. Intervention methods are essential for a successful cessation plan.

Effective methods include medications, including replacement therapy; counselling and web-based or standalone computer programs.

Studies have shown that it takes between 6-12 weeks post quitting before the amount of nicotinic receptors in the brain return to the level of a non-smoker. (Wikipedia)

Along with health benefits and money savings there are lots of good reasons to quit.

Dr Weston Kensinger, a Lecturer of Health Education in the School of Behavioral Sciences and Education at Penn State Harrisburg, took the time out to share with us his excellent tips for creating an effective smoking cessation policy within your organisation:

Developing an effective smoking cessation policy can be hard, time consuming, controversial, and frustrating. However, it can also be rewarding, successful, and can better the health of others. The following are seven tips success that which are considering developing a policy may find helpful:

1.    Recognize and explain why you are creating a cessation policy. There are many reasons for an organization to choose to go smoke-free. Some of these include environmental reasons, to reduce second hand smoke, to increase the health of those in the organization, to reduce the dependence on an addictive substance, to reduce health care costs, to reduce the chance of chronic diseases, etc. The specific messaging that the organization communicates regarding the reason why a cessation program is being implemented will affect how those in the organization respond to the proposed program and will influence their attitudes regarding the policy. For example, an organization who is facing rising healthcare costs may want to explain how smoking cessation can help reduce the cost of insurance for both employees and the organization. Another example would be if an organization is located in a region where there is a heavy ‘go green’ initiative, they may want to focus on the air pollution caused by smoking. Tailoring the messaging to what those in the organization value will help to make the program a success.

2.    Plan, plan, and plan some more. Creating a smoking cessation program is a large task and often a tough sell to smokers. Organizations who are considering this should first form a representative a taskforce to look at if there is a need for a cessation program. Then the organization should conduct a needs assessment, focus group interviews, and open forums to find out what the true attitudes, benefits, and barriers are for a potential policy. If the organization chooses to go with a cessation program, they should create a detailed timeline as well as a back-up plan if the program does not go as planned. Throughout this planning process and program, the organization should have evaluation measures in place to monitor success.

3.    Once the organization chooses to implement a cessation plan, it should be widely advertised and the specific needs of smokers should be addressed. The organization needs to understand that smoking cessation will not happen overnight and that they should provide cessation resources to those who wish to quit. The cessation resources can come in the form of hotlines, counselling, support groups, nicotine replacement, etc. It is crucial that the organization offers cessation resources and assistance to those who smoke so that they can be more successful in complying with the cessation program and will increase the likelihood of long-term success.

4.    Make sure that there is an enforcement mechanism within the policy. Previous cessation policies without enforcement have not been as successful as those with enforcement.

5.    The organization creating the cessation program should separate the behavior of smoking from the individual. This will help to place the emphasis of the program and possible negative stigmas associated with smoking on the behavior, rather than individual feeling attacked or looked down upon.

6.    Those who consider implementing a cessation program need to have thick skin and understand that they will receive pushback and criticism from smokers. Smoking cessation is a hot topic and elicits strong feelings. Program organizers need to realize this and handle criticisms professionally and with respect.

7.    Highlight the success of other programs. This helps to show that other organizations are pursuing cessation programs and helps to increase a social norming effect.

To learn more about Dr Kensinger please visit the Penn State Harrisburg website.

This is a guest blog post by Dr Kensinger.   

share on