Professional News

Tobacco-free Resources Available to Employees

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 13, 2009) - The following is a message Human Resources recently sent to faculty and staff regarding tobacco treatment resources.

On Thursday, Nov.19, 2009, the University of Kentucky will implement a campus-wide tobacco-free policy, taking a leading role in creating a healthier Kentucky. This implementation coincides with the American Cancer Society's 34th Great American Smokeout.

As the state's flagship university, UK believes in fostering a healthy environment for all members of the campus community. The tobacco-free policy puts employees, guests and students first by providing a healthy, tobacco-free environment and decreasing exposure to secondhand smoke.

UK joins more than 300 other United States colleges and universities with tobacco-free or smoke-free policies in place for the entire campus, both indoors and outdoors. Additional information about UK's tobacco-free campus and compliance training materials are available at www.uky.edu/TobaccoFree.

With a great investment in its employees, guests and students, UK offers many resources for those interested in quitting tobacco use. To learn more about UK's resources for employees (and their spouses or sponsored dependents) UK invites you to a two-day resource fair on Nov. 10-11 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., hosted by the Tobacco Policy Research program. The resource fair will take place on the third floor of the Kentucky Clinic, across from the Wildcat Café.

Among the resources UK offers are nicotine replacement therapy products, including patches and/or gum, at no cost to those students, faculty and staff (and their spouses or sponsored dependents) who are enrolled and actively participate in one of the many UK-sponsored tobacco treatment programs.

Employees interested in an individual, low-pressure approach designed to encourage and assist you in becoming a non-smoker may take advantage of UK's Health and Wellness Program, BeHIP: Tobacco Cessation (http://www.uky.edu/HR/wellness/behipoverview.html). BeHIP is a phone based, health coaching program.

UK also provides individual counseling sessions through the Internal Medicine Clinic with UK's tobacco treatment specialist, Audrey Darville (Contact information: audrey.darville@uky.edu), ARNP, CTTS. Employees can call (859) 323-4222 or (859) 323-0303 to schedule an appointment. Group counseling is also available. These services are part of UK HealthCare but also connected to the Tobacco Policy Research Program (http://www.mc.uky.edu/tobaccopolicy/) in the UK College of Nursing.

The office of UK Work + Life Connections (http://www.uky.edu/HR/WLC ) offers assessments, brief counseling, education and referral free of charge to UK Employees. Visits are limited to five times per year.

For employees, students and visitors who do not want to quit but need help to feel more comfortable at work or during class, nicotine replacement gum may be purchased in campus convenience stores, gift shops at UK Chandler and Good Samaritan hospitals, Kentucky Clinic Pharmacy, or University Health Service Pharmacy. These locations, except for the hospital gift shops, also carry the nicotine patch. Some products are significantly less expensive than those found in commercial pharmacies.

A full list of resources for managing cravings or quitting tobacco use with reference to students, employees and the general public, along with information about UK's tobacco-free policy, is available at www.uky.edu/TobaccoFree.