Kelsey-Seybold Clinic Unveils “Tobacco Free For Life”

Houston (February 21, 2008) – Employers of tobacco users have a new resource to help employees kick the habit. This week, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic unveiled its Tobacco Free for Life program, designed to assist employers in providing employees an effective way to quit using tobacco.

"We designed the Tobacco Free for Life program to offer employers an effective way to help their employees succeed at quitting tobacco," said Robert Dickinson, M.D., executive director of Corporate Health and Wellness at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic.
 Smoking alone is estimated to cost the American economy $150 billion annually in medical expenses and lost productivity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each smoking employee costs his or her employer an additional $3,391 each year in decreased productivity, increased absenteeism and extra health care costs.

"Each year, thousands of people are diagnosed with health issues that can be traced back to their tobacco habit," Dr. Dickinson said. "This program supports the individual who wants help and the employer that wants a healthy workforce." Houston employers have another incentive to help their employees kick the tobacco habit. The New Year brings the initiation of the City of Houston's decision to ban smoking from public buildings and workplaces.

The confidential program is designed to support employees who want to stop smoking or using other tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco. Tobacco Free for Life is led by certified tobacco cessation specialists who conducts on-site meetings for employees interested in learning ways to successfully quit tobacco. Sessions include coaching and the opportunity for participants to discuss their struggles within a group setting.

Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, through the Tobacco Free for Life program, has also teamed with the American Cancer Society's Quitline® to provide telephonic counseling services to those individuals who want additional support to live a tobacco-free lifestyle. Tobacco Free for Life is part of Kelsey-Seybold's Wellness For Life product line and is offered to Houston-area employers.

Tobacco is known for its debilitating impact on the body's many systems. Different forms of tobacco impact different systems, but here's an example of what happens to someone who decides to stop smoking.

Twenty minutes after not smoking:

Blood pressure and pulse rate drop to normal levels

Hand and foot temperatures increase to normal levels

After eight hours:

Carbon monoxide in the blood drops

Oxygen levels increase to normal levels

One day later:

Risk of heart attack begins to decrease

Two days after quitting:

Damaged nerve endings begin regenerating

Senses, specifically taste and smell, improve

In two to 12 weeks:

Circulation and breathing improves

Walking becomes easier

One to nine months after cessation:

Shortness of breath improves

Overall energy increases

Lungs begin to self-clean and reduce infection

Respiratory ailments like coughing, sinus congestion and fatigue decrease

One year later:

Risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker

Five years later:

Stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker

Risks of cancers in the mouth, throat and esophagus is half that of a smoker.

"There is no better time to stop using tobacco than right now," Dr. Dickinson said.