Health Promotion Programs – Quitters Do Win.
Quitting smoking at any age can improve a person’s health. And believe it or not, older staff often fair better with smoking cessation than younger employees.
According to the Journal of American Medicine, Duke University reseearchers tracked 573 older patients over 10 years. They found that just 16 percent of those who joined the use of tobacco cessation program later returned to use of tobacco.
Previous research has found young smokers who attempt to quit have a 35 percent to 45 percent relapse rate within two years.
Given that personnel nationwide are retiring later and the cost of retiree health care is sky high, you may want to keep trying with smoking cessation programs, even for the oldest personnel on your health plan.