Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• McAfee, Tim
• Montanari, Dana

Titel

Tobacco Cessation Programs Can Prevent Billions of Dollars in Health Care Costs

Ist Teil von

• Employee Benefit Plan Review, 2005-07, Vol.60 (1), p.18

Ort / Verlag

New York: Aspen Publishers, Inc

Erscheinungsjahr

2005

Quelle

BSC - Ebsco (Business Source Ultimate)

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Forty years after the Surgeon General's Report on the negative impacts of smoking, tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the United States. Less well-known is the cost tobacco imposes on American businesses. Recognizing this, former secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson recently told a conference of business leaders and consultants that every employer needs to get more aggressive in promoting healthier lifestyles among their employees. More specifically, he noted, the biggest impact in reducing health care costs will come from pursuing tobacco cessation initiatives. But actually realizing any improvement requires more than just adding tobacco cessation to the list of benefits in the employee handbook. If the program selected creates barriers to participation, whether in the form of co-pays or by requiring in-person attendance, many tobacco users will be discouraged from attending. On the other hand, telephone-based counseling programs, which have proven successful in the public health arena, are highly effective, appealing to tobacco users, and convenient.