Help your staff to join the tens of thousands of people quitting smoking this Stoptober
Help your staff to join the tens of thousands of people quitting smoking this Stoptober
With only three months to go, employers across the North East are being urged to lend a helping hand and support their staff to quit smoking when Stoptober – the nations biggest quitting event – gets underway again
Campaign is being backed by Fresh, TUC and North East Chamber of Commerce (centre)
With only three months to go, employers across the North East are being urged to lend a helping hand and support their staff to quit smoking when Stoptober – the nation’s biggest quitting event – gets underway again.
Last year Stoptober prompted thousands of people across England to quit for good and generated massive public awareness. The campaign is run by Public Health England and supported by Fresh in the North East.
This year, workplaces are being asked to spread the quitting message to staff and challenge workers to give the 28-day smokefree challenge a go. Stoptober is being backed by the Northern TUC through their Better Health at Work Award scheme.
Smoking not only harms people’s health, it also deprives the North East’s economy of over £32 million a year through increased levels of absence from work by smokers compared to non-smokers. By encouraging staff to quit, employers can reduce their costs and help their staff make a life enhancing decision that will result in a healthier and less stressed workforce.
Stoptober aims to encourage smokers to stop smoking for 28 days from 1st October and supports them through their quit attempt with lots of free online resources and a Stoptober pack. Research shows those who stop smoking for 28 days are five times more likely to stay smokefree.
Ailsa Rutter, Director of Fresh, Smokefree North East said: “This year we’re really trying to find some Stoptober champions among regional employers. Most smokers would like to be able to quit but can’t always find the right time, or are worried they won’t be successful.
“Employers can make a massive difference in the health and wellbeing of staff if they support staff through this process. And quitting together as a group gives people an extra motive to keep going.”
Tom Ross, Health and Wellbeing lead for the Northern TUC, said: “Recent results on life expectancy in the North East are really worrying and anything that can be done to improve the health of our region has to be worthwhile.
“The TUC are proud partners in the North East Better Health at Work award and it goes without saying that employers and trade unions working together with the NHS on public health improvements has proven to be very successful, with lives being changed for the better and in some cases even saved.”
Ross Smith, Director of Policy at the North East Chamber of Commerce, added: “Businesses need their skilled workers to stay healthy, and with an ageing population as a region we can’t afford to lose people out of the workforce early through preventable diseases. Lots of businesses will be supporting their staff to quit smoking and we would encourage all firms to look at what help they can offer.”
Employers can use Stoptober to support their health and wellbeing initiatives, and Public Health England can provide free promotional materials to support staff events and resources for internal communications.
If you would like to find out more about Stoptober and how your organisation can get involved, email or visit smokefree.nhs.uk