If you have workers that are struggling to give up smoking and your workplace is located in Queensland you can take part in the Workplace Quit Smoking Program (WQSP) that is free and means that businesses can offer support to workers trying to quit.
Smoking tobacco is now associated with a number of different health issues and it is in the best interest of every individual and their families to quit.
Statistics are showing that by helping workers give up smoking there are tangible benefits for employers such as:
- Increased productivity
- Reduced absenteeism
- Reduced rates of illness and injury
- Reduced exposure of non-smoking workforce to environmental tobacco smoke
Information on how businesses and their workers can participate in this effective program is at http://www.deir.qld.gov.au:
The WQSP has been very effective with quit rates of 55 per cent at the three-month follow up and 29 per cent at six month follow up. This is more than double the expected unassisted quit rate reported within the general population.
The WQSP is open to Queensland-based workplaces that engage workers in blue-collar occupations, such as technicians, trade workers, labourers, machinery operators and drivers. These broad industry groups include:
- Construction
- Manufacturing
- Transport and storage
- Mining
- Agriculture
- Forestry and fishing
- Wholesale trade
- Utilities – electricity, gas and water.
There is no cost to the workplace or to the participating workers for involvement in the program. Partners, spouses and family members of participating workers may also be eligible.
The WQSP is a structured 16-week program where workers receive six contacts from a professionally trained Quitline counsellor and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) such as patches, gums and lozenges.
The role of the counsellor is to provide information, advice and support to people who are ready to quit smoking, to give them the best chance of succeeding. Counsellors focus on the reasons why people smoke, not why they should not – so callers are not given a ‘health lecture’.
The WQSP is managed by the Department of Health and delivered by the Quitline service, 13 QUIT (13 78 48), a confidential telephone counselling service dedicated to supporting smokers to quit.
Workplaces interested in participating in the program need to:
- Have management commitment to implement the program
- Identify key person/s within the workplace to coordinate and manage the program
- Contact the Department of Health to register interest in participating in the program and establish workplace eligibility
- Sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
- Identify and develop a program registration process suitable to the workplace
- Develop promotional material (e.g. posters/flyers)
- Undertake targeted and sustained promotion of the program to the workforce
- Verify eligibility of all program participants.
In support of workplaces wishing to participate in the program, the Department of Health will:
- Coordinate the development of the MOU with the workplace
- Answer any questions workplaces may have about the program
- Assist in adapting the registration form to suit the workplace needs
- Assist in promoting the program and developing promotional materials by offering strategies, templates and advice, as required
- Provide the WQSP via the Quitline Service and mail NRT to participants (at no cost to the workplace)
- Provide regular reporting to the workplace on the program, as agreed in the MOU.
Source:http://www.deir.qld.gov.au/workplace/workers/healthy-workers/quit-smoke-program/index.htm
Healthy workers are productive workers. Smoking is a difficult and expensive addiction to overcome for even the strongest person.
The benefits of a program that actively supports workers that are choosing to quit smoking will mean that there are substantial long-term benefits for everyone in the workplace.
Health and wellbeing programs are becoming more and more and more popular in workplaces for one reason only and that is because they work for everyone that is involved.
Peter Cutforth is a Director at Urban E-Learning, a global elearning and web strategy firm based in George St Brisbane. Peter's interests extend to training, safety and compliance, online marketing, and Mobile Apps.
