World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Smoking Cessation and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence

The Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society Kowloon - Smoking Cessation Programme in Workplace

Introduction

"Smoking Cessation Programme in Workplace" is a pilot smoking cessation programme which is specially designed to target smokers in the working population. This project aims to raise awareness of workers and their employers to the importance of maintaining a smoke-free environment as well as encourage smoking employees to quit.

The programme covers a comprehensive range of activities and services including outreach counselling services in workplace, health promotion activities targeting for both employers and employees, setting-up of internal policies that help smokers quit, and research projects. The outreach team comprises professional healthcare workers including registered nurses and social workers.

Promoting smoke-free company culture

This project applies a top-down approach driving from employer to employee. The outreach team approaches the managerial staff of the company to help them develop their own smoke-free internal policies, with reference to their company profile and culture. In order to increase the incentive for smoking employees to quit, they will advise companies to adopt measures such as rewarding the quitters with extra bonus or holidays and setting up “Smoke-free buddy” programme in which non-smoking employees can support and encourage smokers to quit. In recognition of the companies’ efforts and commitment in promoting smoke-free environment in workplace, “Smoke-free Enterprise Logo” will be awarded. The logo can be used in their promotion materials for building up their corporate images and for inspiring other corporates in helping employee to quit smoking.

Outreach smoking cessation service

The outreach team provides health talk in the company targeting both smokers and non-smokers. After the talk, brief counselling will be provided to the smokers and invite smokers to try the CO analyser in hope to arouse their intention to join the smoking cessation workshop which helps smoker quit the habit.

Cognitive behavior counselling for smoking cessation

Collaborating with the Department of Psychology of the University of Hong Kong, Lok Sin Tong has designed and developed a training kit to help smokers understand their own smoking habit and the reasons to quit. The kit adopts the approach using cognitive behavior counselling for smoking cessation and aims to help smokers to break their addiction cycle. The 4-hour workshop allows them to identify their dysfunctional thoughts related to their smoking behavior and provides them with smoking cessation tips and relaxation exercise. Participants will receive follow-up phone calls and interval text messages with cessation tips for 1 year.