Smoke Free First At Quorum

North East Business Park becomes first in UK to roll out a smoke free policy

While public health laws in the UK have placed restrictions on smoking inside enclosed workplaces since July 2007, there are typically less restrictions on smoking in outdoor areas. However one North East business park has gone further to provide a clean air environment to staff. Quorum Business Park in North Newcastle has long had a policy of promoting health and wellbeing under it’s ‘better place to work’ ethos. Now it has brought in a new smoke free policy, that is believed to be the first in the UK. Research at the business park established that approximately 80% of the 6,000-staff working at Quorum don’t smoke while at work. Additionally, there was increasing feedback from staff using the external breakout spaces not wanting to come into contact with second hand smoke. This was particularly the case in the warmer months, when staff use the outside spaces more, and the benches and picnic tables for eating their lunch. We all know that smoking has serious health consequences not only for the smokers but to others in the vicinity too. Every year about 100,000 people in the UK die from smoking. For every death caused by smoking, around 20 smokers are suffering from a smoking related disease. It is the number one cause of preventable death and illness in the country. About half of all lifelong smokers will die early, losing 10 years of life on average. The policy was designed in collaboration with the 30 onsite tenants at Quorum through the Quorum Health Forum, where team members discussed the issues of second hand smoke and how many people on the park wanted to stop smoking. From this the Quorum on site management team developed an ambitious smoking policy across the park, that both protected staff from second hand smoke, and offered individuals a number of ‘stop smoking services’. The team at Quorum looked at the issue and were also mindful of not alienating the 20% of staff who do still smoke. With this in mind a decision was made not to make the park 100% smoke free, but to limit smoking to designated smoking shelters and points. So in July 2017, Quorum Business Park instigated a no smoking policy across the whole park. The following actions were implemented: Fresh Air Zones were placed in parts of the park where staff tend to congregate during breaks and lunchtimes. Smokers are only permitted to smoke in their designated smoking shelter There are additional outdoor spaces that people who vape can use this was purposefully designed to encourage smokers to switch to vaping. Smoking is not permitted anywhere else in the park, including the break out spaces, retail area, roads and car parks. The policy was introduced to staff through a number of channels of communication including the monthly Quorum newsletter, the weekly roundup email and social media. Posters were placed around the park and 1,000 flyers were distributed. ‘Smoking Ambassadors’ were also employed to patrol the park at peak times handing out flyers and explaining to staff what the new policy was and why it was in place. Laura Barber of Quorum commented ‘Smoking can be a delicate and emotive subject, so we wanted to devise a strategy that provides a smoke free environment of the 80% of non-smokers, while not stigmatising the 20% who do smoke. However the policy adopted across the park is working well with an improvement in air quality and less cigarette litter in our public spaces.’ Measures were also put in place so that staff who wished to quit smoking had the support and information they needed. Local smoking charity ‘Life Line’ and NHS England both provided support. The smoke free strategy which has been implemented at Quorum Business Park has met with very positive effects with a noticeable drop in the number of people smoking. The policy was presented to the North Tyneside Smoking Cessation Board who were delighted with the progress made. Quorum Business Park and North Tyneside Council have a close working relationship in terms of supporting health and wellbeing. The change in policy was also backed by support for smokers who want to quit, including Stoptober, the 28-day stop smoking campaign from Public Health England that is back from 1st October. It is based on research that shows that if you can stop smoking for 28 days, you are five times more likely to stay smoke free for good.