As your employees look toward the new year, many will resolve to make healthier lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, getting back to the gym or eating healthier. Some may even resolve to stop smoking, vaping or dipping. While becoming nicotine-free should be a priority to prevent disease and premature death, it can be extremely difficult to quit these substances without assistance.
Research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse indicates that smokers who receive a combination of behavioral treatment and cessation medications quit at higher rates than those who receive minimal intervention. “It is important for cessation treatment to be as personalized as possible, as some people smoke to avoid negative effects of withdrawal while others are more driven by the rewarding aspects of smoking,” the institute says.
Vanderbilt's Nicotine Treatment Program offers such an evidence-based plan to help your employees quit tobacco for good. The program uses a combination of expert support, a clinically designed handbook and virtual support groups to keep participants focused over an intensive six-week period. After the six weeks are over, individualized follow-up sessions are offered regularly for up to a year.
Though the Nicotine Treatment Program became an Employer Solutions offering in early 2023, the program already had a long track record of keeping people healthy and productive while reducing health care costs. Employees feel more valued because of access to the benefit, and employers appreciate the convenience and ease of implementation. Employees simply let their HR representative know they are interested in joining the program, and Vanderbilt takes it from there.
Learn more about the program at this link, and contact Employer Solutions at employersolutions@vumc.org or call (615) 421-0112 to get started.
