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One of the benefits of helping employees kick the habit is that it often helps the children in those households abstain from these addictive products. When employees kick the habit, their kids are less likely to model parental behaviors towards smoking and tobacco use. 

Tobacco cessation programs often benefit families in addition to the employee who goes through the program. More than 34% of all American children live with more than one smoker in the household. These children have more health problems than of non-smoking parents and they are more likely to take up the habit themselves.

Smoker’s children have more emergency department visits, especially due illnesses caused by second-hand smoke exposure. These illnesses include respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis, as well as more ear infections and other conditions. They also get sick more often and have a significantly higher risk of pneumonia. Helping parents kick the habit can therefore lead to a healthier household, because there is no safe exposure for second-hand smoke. 

Tobacco addiction issues remain fairly common among our nation’s youth. For example, the CDC reported that within the past 30 days, almost 20% of all high school students surveyed in 2020 admitted to using e-cigarettes and almost 24% used another tobacco product. This underscores that targeted support at all ages is important to help individuals butt-out for good. 

Romantic partners and spouses

In addition to children, partners or spouses of ex-smokers benefit from tobacco cessations programs as well. Like many health-related behaviors, partners in romantic relationship tend to share the same smoking habits. In fact, most smokers who are in relationships are with someone who also smokes. Smoking cessation in married people is much more successful if their spouse also decides to quit. As one study concludes, “when one spouse improves his or her behavior, the other spouse is likely to do so as well.“