Business buddies team up to quit smoking

With just over three months to go until England goes smoke free, businesses across Knowsley are already working to help their employees quit.

Polls show that one in four smokers in the country plan to try and kick the habit when the new legislation comes into force on July 1 – banning smoking in all workplaces, pubs, clubs and restaurants.

Now, with the support of smoking cessation officers from Knowsley Council, three businesses have joined together to form a unique “buddy system”, giving their staff additional support to help them cut out the cigarettes.

ColorMatrix Europe, Chums, and Terumo Europe, all based at Knowsley Business Park, are benefiting from support from the council’s Workplace Stop Smoking Service. The Council, working in partnership with Knowsley Primary Care Trust and Roy Castle Fag Ends, is providing in-house stop smoking advice to staff working in local businesses in order to help them kick the habit, in the run up to July 1.

The buddy scheme sees the three companies working together to host regular joint stop smoking meetings, and allowing staff time away from work to attend the sessions.

The buddy system is the only scheme of its kind to be offered by a council on Merseyside. It makes it easy for businesses, regardless of their size, to support employees who want to kick the habit, making the transition to smoke free workplaces run smoothly.

Feedback has so far been very positive. One employee said: “This is a fantastic idea. I have wanted to quit for ages, but never found the time to go to the local quit smoking clinic to get help. I have tried using willpower but found it hard. Now that the service has come to the place I work I feel I really have support of everyone especially the people I work with and will hopefully kick the habit for good this time.”

Cllr Ken Keith, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Corporate and Customer Services, said, “Terumo, ColorMatrix and Chums have already been preparing their premises for the smoke free legislation, and part of this preparation is to provide support for their employees who smoke. All businesses can benefit from this with the help of Knowsley Council’s Workplace Smoking Cessation Officers.

“Knowsley’s Environmental Health and Consumer Protection division have been working hard with businesses throughout the borough offering support and advice. We are committed to improving people’s lives through better health and one way is helping people in the borough make a fresh start ahead of July 1.”

Officers from Knowsley Council’s Environmental Health and Consumer Protection Division will be visiting every business in the borough to provide information and advice on the changes they need to make in order to comply with this summer’s smoke free legislation.

Businesses interested in establishing their own buddy schemes can contact Knowsley Councils Workplace Stop Smoking service on 0151 443 4723.

Cllr Ken Keith with staff from the three companies involved in the buddy system to help employees give up smoking: In red - Michelle Hopwood, Plant Manager, Terumo; In the middle, Lesley Davies, HR Manager, Chums, In black, Caroline Porter, HR Manager, ColorMatrix.