This National Boss Day, Tell Your Boss "I Quit"
Smoke Free Society Offers Employers Effective Solutions and a High-Tech Computer to Help Their Employees Quit Smoking

Washington, DC, October 12, 2006 - Each year, October 16th rolls around and employees are reminded of National Boss Day – a day where employees can say to their boss, “I quit.” This year, Smoke Free Society encourages employees who smoke to quit smoking to save their life, their wealth and their jobs. Smoking is no longer just about the smoker’s health, but it’s about their jobs as well. Employees who smoke cost their employers more than $9,300 in lost productivity, smoking breaks, excess medical expenditures, liability insurance and other related costs each and every year, according to Smoke Free Society.

Photo: Ms

The growing trend among employers is to go smoke free to cut costs and increase productivity while saving lives. Lockheed Martin for example unveiled plans to eliminate cigarettes and all tobacco products from its campus-style properties starting January 1, 2007. It is part of an effort to rein in rising healthcare expenses, which now cost the company about $800 million annually. Scotts Miracle-Gro is another employer that has already banned smoking on the job and has offered smoking and tobacco use cessation programs and solutions to its smokers. In October, workers must stop altogether or find a new job.

Each day, over 70%, or 32 million, of smokers are ready to quit, but they need help and support. Employers can help by getting involved and providing incentives, awareness seminars and effective means to help their employees quit smoking. According to the office of the U.S. Surgeon General, “Paying for tobacco use cessation treatments is the single most cost-effective health insurance benefit for adults that can be provided to employees.” And many healthcare plans and providers pay for smoking cessation treatments.

The following are the top five immediate benefits of a smoke-free workplace:

1. Healthier and happier employees
2. Major savings for employer and employee
3. Increased productivity while reducing absenteeism and down time
4. Broader incentive, recruiting and retention policy
5. Cleaner and safer workplace environment for all employees

Smoke Free Society offers effective, motivational and educational seminars and programs that are designed for and targeted to the entire staff – both smokers and nonsmokers – to help educate and create a caring and supportive environment that is more conducive for smokers to want to quit and to help nonsmokers better understand their roles in helping their co-workers, friends and loved ones quit smoking. Support from co-workers, friends and family is an essential part of successfully quitting and staying smoke free.

THE GOOD NEWS is that quitting smoking can be achieved easier with the proper tools, right mindset and support – more than 45,000,000 people have quit in the past decade. More education and awareness increases the smoker’s understanding of why they smoke and what is involved in quitting and staying smoke free. As importantly, the average smoker costs themselves over $1,500 a year on cigarettes alone. A Duke University study puts the true cost of lifetime smoking at $40 a pack – on average, that’s about $15,000 a year over the life of a smoker – money that could be used to provide a healthier and happier life for themselves and their children.

Smoke Free Society is a national, not-for-profit organization solely dedicated to providing information and techniques to help smokers quit smoking, educating children to prevent them from starting to smoke or use tobacco, and uniting the community to promote a healthy, tobacco-free lifestyle. The organization offers a free online download of its “Proven Stop Smoking Technique” to help smokers correctly and effectively quit in just 17 days without any substance or drug. Individuals should go to www.smokefreesociety.org for the free download, eCards and other lifesaving information.

For related photo: http://www.smokefreesociety.org/Press/PRelease/Employer-Photo.asp

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Smoke Free Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping smokers quit smoking and educating kids not to start. Over 4,400 kids starting to smoke every day and nearly 5 million loved ones are killed by tobacco use each year. Any awareness and publicity brought to this most-worthy cause is greatly appreciated. Your help is needed to save lives.

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