In honor of World No Tobacco Day on May 31, help employees overcome the lure and lasting impact of tobacco use by creating safe, informed, and supportive workplaces.
The first time Melanie tried to quit smoking, it was New Year’s Eve. At 11:58pm, standing on the porch with some friends, she decided that in her hand would be her last light. The first three days were tough but manageable. But by January 4, the stress of work had her following a colleague out the door for a smoke break. “Just this once,” she told herself, coming up with the first of a list of exceptions that would undermine many quit attempts to come. “I won’t buy my own—I’ll only bum one every now and then.” “I’ll switch to CBD cigs instead, to satisfy the compulsion.” And finally, “I’ll only buy disposals.” All of which, of course, led her right back to where she started: pack in pocket, cigarette in hand.
For people like Melanie, it can take up to 30 attempts before cessation is successfully achieved. It’s no wonder, then, why—despite more than half of smokers attempting to quit each year—less than 10 percent succeed. And even then, that number might be too liberal an estimate—as 75 percent of smokers who quit experience relapse within six months.
All this speaks to the incredibly addictive nature of tobacco products. 80 percent of users believe they’ll feel better—mentally, physically, and emotionally—if they quit, and yet nearly half simply cannot break the habit they know is no good.
This is concerning, as smoking comes at a considerable cost to a person’s health, wellbeing—and potentially their life. In 2025, tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death worldwide—and the top preventable cause of cancer, responsible for up to 30 percent of all cancer cases and deaths. To make matters worse, this not only includes individuals who engage in tobacco use directly, but also those exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS), which increases a person’s risk of cancer by 30 percent and contributes to more than 7,300 lung cancer deaths each year in US alone.
Given this, quitting (or abstaining from) tobacco is the single most important step people can take to protect themselves from cancer. More than exercising, eating clean, or maintaining a healthy weight—avoiding tobacco is the most powerful action people can take to lead healthy, cancer-free lives. Yet while rates have declined significantly over the last several decades, more than a quarter of adults worldwide continue to use tobacco, contributing to the sustained rise in cancer despite advancements in prevention and early detection previously expected to bring rates down.
Employers’ Role in Discouraging Tobacco Use
That said, as a principal social determinant of health, the workplace plays a leading role in helping to minimize the effects of tobacco on individuals and communities, as research reveals a direct link between work and person’s health behaviors. Three in five employees cite workplace stress as the key factor behind their tobacco use, while another 60 percent cite workplace smoking as a main barrier preventing their successful cessation.
Additionally, while factors such as peer pressure, work-life imbalance, and excessive workloads have all been shown to increase a person’s susceptibility to tobacco use, the presence of protective factors like peer support, psychological safety, flexibility, trust, and autonomy are conversely associated with better health habits and health outcomes for employees.
This underscores the need to shift some of the responsibility away from individuals alone in addressing their tobacco use and related cancer risks and instead invite employers to fulfill their duty of care by taking a more central and proactive role in minimizing these health risks in the workplace.
Creating a Tobacco-Free and Cancer-Safe Workplace: 7 Steps for Employers
Ultimately, creating a workplace safe from the risks and consequences of tobacco means building a workforce that largely abstains from its use. According to WHO findings, 90 percent of lung cancer cases can be altogether prevented if current smokers were to quit. Additionally, research shows that within just three months of quitting, the risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker.
Given the workplace’s influence on employees’ health habits, it’s clear that more must be done to discourage substance use both in the workplace and beyond. To that end, the following are seven steps employers can take to promote a healthier, cancer-free workplace.
1. Adopt a smoke-free workplace policy.
Without a doubt, adopting a smoke-free workplace policy is the single most effective step employers can take toward minimizing the prevalence and consequences of tobacco use in the workplace. Research clearly demonstrates the profound impact smoke-free policies can have on people’s habits at work, in the home, and in their communities—cutting employees’ total cigarette consumption by nearly 30 percent, decreasing their overall likelihood of smoking by 18 percent, and encouraging the adoption of smoke-free house rules, too.
Not only do smoke-free policies protect the health of active or would-be smokers, but they are also the only way to protect nonsmokers from the dangers of secondhand smoke in the workplace. By establishing a totally smoke-free workplace, employers can reduce the number of people exposed to SHS by a whopping 77 percent, and help create a future where fewer individuals turn to the habit for pleasure or relief.
Part of the reason why establishing a totally smoke-free workplace is so important is because of the decisive role peers play in shaping social behaviors like smoking. Nearly 60 percent of smokers first pick up the habit as a result of peer pressure, while almost a third of workers admit that the need or pressure to fit in with others actively influences their decision to light up a cigarette.
Such influence is amplified in a workplace setting. Research into the association between peer smoking behaviors and quit success among employees who participating in a cessation program found that the number of smokers in the workplace was inversely related to employees’ likelihood of long-term cessation. In other words, the more smokers there are at work, the less likely they or their peers are to successfully quit for good.
But just as peers can encourage individuals to smoke, so, too, can they dissuade or empower them to quit. Research investigating the mediating role of peer support in helping colleagues achieve cessation found that the presence of nonsmoking peers—especially those who had smoked but successfully quit—significantly boosts the chances of employees’ quit success, even a year down the line. Additionally, the presence of close, trusted friends or peers who can provide support and act as a source of ongoing motivation, encouragement, and accountability have also been identified as key facilitators behind individuals’ decision to quit and the success of their efforts.
Thus, by harnessing the power of peer support to shape employee behavior, employers can not only successfully deter staff from engaging in harmful habits like smoking but can further encourage the adoption of additional health-conscious habits that promote a healthy, cancer-safe life. With solutions such as WPO’s Wellbeing Ambassador Program, employers can cultivate a strong network of supportive, exemplary peers who can serve as crucial role models for prioritizing wellbeing and empower staff to develop positive coping strategies, seek professional help when they feel it’s needed, and take proactive steps to improve and maintain their overall health and wellbeing.
3. Invest in and encourage the use of cessation coaching.
Of course, encouraging people to quit smoking takes more than a workplace policy or exemplary peers: for the majority of smokers, it requires ongoing professional intervention.
Research consistently affirms that only three to five percent of people who attempt to quit without professional help successfully achieve cessation, despite the majority expressing the desire to quit. In contrast, individuals who receive ongoing coaching support are six times more likely to achieve long-term cessation, while every interaction with a health professional or cessation intervention increases the likelihood of success, according to the CDC. Furthermore, an economic analysis of workplace cessation programs reveals a return on investment of more than $15 for every dollar spent—emphasizing the immense value these programs offer to both employees and their organizations.
That said, participation in such programs has historically varied, largely due to a lack of promotion and their perceived use as punitive measures. A recent study assessing barriers and facilitators impacting participation in workplace cessation programs found that employees often cited a lack of ‘personal’ promotion, feelings of shame and fear of judgment from others, and a focus on short-term fixes as key factors discouraging their participation, whereas being personally, non-judgmentally approached by leaders and peers about the program, hearing others’ success stories, and receiving personalized, holistic support were identified as ways employers can empower more employees to take part in these programs.
With services like Remedy and WPO’s Tobacco Cessation Coaching program, employers can offer employees the empowerment and holistic support they desire to address their tobacco use and improve their overall wellbeing. Through WPO’s cessation program, participants work with ICF-certified coaches to create individualized cessation plans, receive ongoing accountability and motivation, and cultivate healthier habits that align with their wellness goals. Likewise, with Remedy, employees also gain access to a confidential and non-judgmental space to explore their relationship with substances and develop healthier coping mechanisms for managing stress and reducing their substance use.
By providing access to these services, employers can foster a safe and supportive environment that empowers employees to take charge of their health and work toward reducing or even eliminating their tobacco use—confident that their peers and managers will support them without judgment and have their backs every step of the way.
While offering targeted cessation coaching is essential for addressing employees’ smoking habits, pairing that with holistic wellbeing support is equally important, as a healthy life begets overall healthy lifestyle habits.
When employees receive the tools and guidance they need to develop and maintain a healthy routine—including a nutritious diet, plentiful exercise, quality sleep, and effective time management—the more likely they are to altogether avoid the impulse to smoke or use tobacco as a means of coping with unmanaged stress. Whether that’s simply because they experience less stress or because they have healthier coping strategies to draw from, the moral is the same: support for employees’ holistic wellbeing is support for their tobacco cessation or abstention.
That said, investing in comprehensive emotional, physical, and practical support for employees is yet another step employers can take toward creating a cancer-safe workplace. In fact, findings show that among individuals who successfully quit, nearly two in five receive emotional counseling in addition to targeted cessation interventions. One study in particular found that individual counseling and personalized support was associated with a 12-week abstinence rate of 97 percent compared to 13 percent for those who quit on their own.
Given findings which suggest that nearly half of workers smoke as a means of coping with anxious thoughts and feelings, the need for emotional support in tandem with cessation coaching couldn’t be clearer. By providing access to structured as well as drop-in counseling support, mindfulness programs, and digital solutions, employers can eliminate barriers such as time, location, and confidentiality concerns to ensure employees receive the timely, accessible care they need in a way that works best for them.
Of course, none of these efforts to shield employees from the damaging effects of tobacco use will be fruitful if employees are not aware of the risks such behaviors pose to their long-term health and wellbeing.
In 2025, most employees are undoubtedly familiar with the cancer risks associated with smoking—but the sheer magnitude of these risks may still be underappreciated. For instance, new research shows that people who both vape and smoke are at an eight times higher risk of developing lung cancer compared with those who abstain from both. Conversely, studies have found that by quitting smoking before the age of 35, individuals can avoid 100 percent of the excess cancer mortality risk associated with continued smoking.
These statistics are important to know—as are those that highlight the importance of screening and early detection in driving better health outcomes and reducing one’s risk of cancer. According to the American Lung Association, if everyone who was eligible for lung cancer screening took part, the US could prevent up to 12,000 deaths a year, as early diagnosis is associated with a five-fold increase in the likelihood of survival. Yet research shows that only 18 percent of eligible Americans are currently up to date on their lung cancer screenings.
These gaps highlight the urgent need to raise awareness about individuals’ cancer risk and encourage more widespread participation in screening. By investing in global learning solutions focused on enhancing employees’ health literacy and awareness of their personal health risks, employers can empower employees to make informed decisions about their health, prioritize regular screenings, and take preventive action to protect themselves from the risks of cancer and other tobacco-related diseases.
6. Embrace flexibility.
While educating employees about the importance of early detection and prevention efforts is crucial to fostering an informed and proactive workforce, such efforts are ultimately useless without also providing employees with the space and freedom to act on the advice received.
As it happens, nearly half of employers admit their teams “can’t find time in their schedules” to attend routine, preventive screenings, whereas half of employees have had to change or cancel a doctor’s appointment due to a conflict with their work schedule. These findings are unacceptable, especially in light of findings that underscore the crucial role early detection and routine screenings play in preventing severe disease and excess mortality.
By establishing flexible work policies or arrangements that allow employees to integrate their health commitments into their work schedules, employers can ensure that employees have time to actually implement the health advice they receive through work and build a daily routine that promotes their professional and personal wellbeing. Such arrangements not only encourage employees to stay up to date on cancer screenings, but empower them to receive structured counseling or cessation support, prioritize their health needs, and access services as needed to enhance their health, reduce stress, and maintain long-term wellbeing.
7. Build psychological safety and monitor for psychosocial risks.
Finally, no effort to create a tobacco-free and cancer-safe workplace is complete without a commitment to building psychological safety and mitigating psychosocial risks.
Studies have identified several psychosocial hazards that increase employees’ likelihood of smoking or engaging in harmful tobacco use. These include high psychological job demands and low social support, which both increase employees’ risk of being heavy smokers by roughly 40 percent, as well as poor working conditions and high effort-reward imbalance, which are not only associated with a higher likelihood of smoking and increased cigarette consumption, but also a higher chance that former smokers will relapse and a lower chance that current smokers will quit.
By monitoring for signs of these and other psychosocial risks, employers can foster a favorable environment that empowers employees to avoid or quit the habit and take better care of their health. By building psychological safety, employers can ensure that employees feel safe to speak their minds, raise concerns, bring their full selves to work, and trust that they will not face consequences for bringing workplace hazards to their leaders’ attention, advocating for themselves and their health and wellbeing, or prioritizing their health at work.
When Prevention Fails, Reintegration Prevails: Help Cancer Survivors Return to Work with Cancer Care Compass
Even with the most robust policies and preventive measures in place, no workplace will be completely immune from the effects of tobacco or the risk of cancer; there will always be some level of risk that employees—and their leaders—must contend with.
But mitigating the harm of tobacco use and related cancers doesn’t stop with prevention. For the more than two-thirds of survivors who return to work after cancer, it requires dedicated support for their reintegration and recovery to effectively minimize their impact.
“Cancer recovery isn’t just about surviving—it’s about thriving,” argues WPO President and CEO, Alan King. “Recovery doesn’t end as soon as treatment stops. In reality, surviving cancer is an ongoing battle against lasting mental and physical health effects that survivors must learn to navigate to fully return to their everyday lives.”
One of the chief concerns that often gets overlooked within current reintegration plans, he says, is the need for holistic support. Not only are there medical concerns, but practical and emotional issues as well.
Recognizing this demand for specialized, holistic support for cancer survivors in the workplace, Cancer Care Compass is the first global, inclusive program designed to provide unparalleled support for survivors and the managers guiding their transition back to work. Tailored to address the practical, physical, and emotional challenges that arise throughout the return process, the program ensures survivors’ seamless reintegration while facilitating their full recovery.
“Our program provides much more than mental health support,” King explains. “It connects employees to a network of resources that address the practical implications of coming back to work.”
Driving this support are the Coordinators of Occupational Reintegration and Adaptation (CORAT), who provide ongoing reintegration coaching and emotional support to help employees set and achieve realistic goals related to their return and recovery, while also conducting manager consultations to help guide the development of collaborative and effective return-to-work plans.
All told, key features of the program include:
- Personalized recovery plans: The CORAT collaborates with employees to create a customized program tailored to their individual return and recovery, providing holistic support for their physical, psychological, and professional wellbeing.
- Fortified emotional and professional resilience for employees: Emotional support fosters stress resilience, positive coping strategies, and adaptability in returning employees.
- Comprehensive resources and support for managers: Managers receive a specialized toolkit and expert consultations offering guidance and best practices for return-to-work processes such as reaching a team agreement, adapting a job position, and creating an effective reintegration plan.
- Enhanced organizational commitment to employee wellbeing: Program participation reflects employers’ dedication to supporting employees’ holistic wellbeing and promoting an inclusive workplace.
At WPO, we understand that the effects of cancer extend far beyond the acute phase of illness. We also know the transformative impact workplace support can have on survivors’ long-term recovery and wellbeing—and they know it, too. Over 90 percent of survivors attest that the support they receive at work is integral to their health and recovery.
By investing in survivors’ seamless reintegration and total recovery—in addition to implementing robust preventive strategies—employers can cultivate a thriving and resilient workforce unburdened by the enduring effects of cancer and harmful tobacco use.
“While tobacco use and its corresponding cancer risk aren’t always preventable, employers can still take meaningful action to mitigate their most devastating effects,” Dina El Helou, Vice President of Service Delivery, Americas, at Workplace Options contends. “Beyond the physical toll, a loss of self, direction, and spirit are just some of the challenges left in cancer’s wake. By offering comprehensive support for their recovery and return to work, employers can empower survivors to reclaim their lives with renewed determination and a restored sense of identity and purpose.”
Ready to create a tobacco-free and truly cancer-safe workplace? Contact us today to learn more about our scope of services and how Cancer Care Compass supports survivors’ seamless return and puts them on the path to healing and balance, so they can thrive.
Disclaimer: Some details in this article have been fictionalized for storytelling purposes but are inspired by real events.
