HEALTHIEST MARYLAND BUSINESSES

Mid/Upper Eastern Shore Region

The 'Great American Smokeout' is Today!

Encourage your employees to make a quit plan.

Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the US, yet about 43.8 million Americans still smoke cigarettes - Nearly 1 in every 5 adults.

The American Cancer Society marks the Great American Smokeout on the third Thursday of November each year by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. By quitting - even for one day - smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life - one that can lead to reducing cancer risk.

Creating supportive tobacco-free environments

Help make the healthy choice the easy choice

Did you know that among adult smokers, 70% report that they want to quit completely? Tobacco-free work campuses create supportive environments, helping your employees in their attempts to quit using tobacco.

Sample Tobacco-Free Campus Policy from CDC

Implementing a Tobacco-Free Campus Initiative in Your Workplace

The Affordable Care Act

How do Tobacco Programs fit in?

The Affordable Care Act creates new incentives to promote employer-based wellness programs. Health-contingent wellness programs generally require individuals to meet a specific standard related to their health to obtain a reward, such as a program that provides a reward to employees who don't use or decrease their use of tobacco. Under final rules that take effect on January 1, 2014, the maximum reward to employers using a health-contingent wellness program will increase from 20 to 30 percent of the cost of health coverage. Additionally, the maximum reward for programs designed to prevent or reduce tobacco use will be as much as 50 percent. For more information, and to view the final rules, visit http://webapps.dol.gov/FederalRegister/HtmlDisplay.aspx?DocId=26880&AgencyId=8&DocumentType=2

Local Quit Classes

Many Local Health Departments offer group Quit Classes. To find out if you can schedule a Quit Class at your worksite, contact your local health department.

Maryland's

Tobacco

QUIT Line

Maryland state residents can take advantage of free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and other program benefits offered by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Maryland

Tobacco Quitline

1-800-QUIT-NOW

The program gives participants access to a trained Quit Coach� who will help them on their road to freedom from tobacco. The Maryland Tobacco Quitline offers free, confidential coaching support for residents of Maryland 24 hours a day/seven days a week, along with Web Coach online support, Text2Quit messaging, and free patches or gum to eligible participants.

Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

Healthiest Maryland Businesses

Nicole Morris, MS, RN

Regional Coordinator

410.778.2533 (o)

410.708.7188 (c)

nicole.morris@maryland.gov

Made possible with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, and Community Transformation Grants.