Della Booth is a woman on a mission. Her mission is to share the importance of tobacco free workplaces with as many businesses in the community as possible. And, with her help, dozens of businesses have successfully implemented a tobacco free workplace policy – helping to improve the health of their employees and their business environment for their customers. Della has been an active advocate for tobacco free workplaces for over five years volunteering her time with the Tobacco Free Partnership in Charlotte County.
According to Della, “As adults, our responsibility is to set an example for our future generation. As business owners and employers, our responsibility is to assist employees who want to break their habit. The free assistance from Tobacco Free Florida and our local partnership is a great way to provide benefits to employees.”
According to the CDC, smoking hurts the US economy, costing more than $300 billion annually in direct medical care and lost productivity, including $5.6 billion a year in productivity losses from exposure to secondhand smoke. Employees who smoke are estimated to cost employers $6,000 more per year than nonsmokers.
The best way for employers to prevent this expense is through a tobacco free workplace policy. And, fortunately, Charlotte County has a great local resource in our Tobacco Free Partnership to help any business develop and implement a policy – including access to free cessation supports to help employees who do smoke to quit. Local Partnership representatives are here to help your workplace through its transition to becoming tobacco free. For more information, contact Michelle Wood-Stanley at Drug Free Charlotte County