No Room for Smokers Left in the Business World

July 2007 will change the lives of British smokers almost instantaneously. That is the day that the overwhelming smoking ban takes effect and smokers are cast out into the streets to inhale their barely-legal tobacco. In preparation for the culture shock expected, the government will begin to slowly implement changes, meaning that you could be affected even sooner than you think.nnIs it impossible to imagine enjoying that pint without a cigarette in hand? Do you love to enjoy that first morning cigarette over a hot cup of black coffee in the back of your favourite café? For the privilege of smoking in the great outdoors, British smokers will continue to pay the highest price for cigarettes in the EU. British smokers pay almost double as much for a pack of cigarettes than the Dutch, Belgians, and Austrians. nnNext up on the chopping block? Quite possibly the smoking break. As work places eliminate smoking rooms in accordance to the new law, workers must seek other areas further and further away from their desks. This means that a five minute smoke break becomes a fifteen-minute break. Employers are not happy. In several countries that have already adapted such bans, discussions regarding getting rid of cigarette breaks entirely keep popping up. nnIt is in every employer’s best interest to help their employees quit smoking. Not only will this minimize breaks, it will show initiative before more potential law changes. By contributing to employees’ efforts to quit smoking, the employer gains a healthier employee who is on site more than their smoking peers. In the US, studies show that smokers cost employers over $1500 per year in lost productivity in 1999. Paying for employees smoking cessation programmes is among the most cost-effective benefits that an employer can provide. The return for the company is enormous. nnAccording to early studies leading up to the smoking ban, 15% of smokers believed they would quit if smoking were banned from all work places. According to the largest smoking cessation study ever, the success rate for quitting using willpower alone is as low as 6%. This means that despite a desire to quit, come next winter, many Brits will be shivering out in the cold. nnQuitting smoking with hypnosis increases your success rate substantially – it’s a fact! Within only one session with hypnotherapist Terry Doherty, you can be smoke-free. Instead of trying to find a top-of-the-line winter jacket to keep warm next winter, a licensed hypnotherapist, can help you in the privacy of your own living room. The investment you make will be one in yourself and your business.nnn© Terry Doherty 2007 http://www.mind-works.co.ukn