Ryan Crawford, Quit Coach Supervisor, Service Delivery:   The state of Virginia is following suit with many other states and is expected to enact a smoking ban. This ban, as with other states’ precedents, would restrict tobacco use in public places and businesses. According to a recent article, small tobacco-focused Virginia businesses are concerned that the ban will threaten their livelihood. In addition, the controversial law is under political scrutiny. Some argue that the ban ... [More]

Crystal Mackay, Scheduling and Workflow Associate:   “Did ya bring my snoose?” were the first words out of his mouth.  Not something you’d expect to hear from someone who just had his second heart attack and was lying in a bed in the cardiac unit, taped up with tubes, wires, and hoses poking out of every limb… All of which were hooked up to what looked like machines from the inside of a space craft.  The doctors were just running every test possible at this point. Hey Dad, how ya ... [More]

Erin Thompson, Marketing Manager:   The heart of Free & Clear’s mission has always been to address chronic disease through health behavior change. As a national leader in tobacco cessation, our goal for the last 20 years has been to help employers build a healthier, more productive and cost-effective workforce by teaching individuals how to overcome addiction to tobacco use. As the number one cause of preventable death and disease, tobacco cessation has been an obvious battle to f... [More]

Yuki Yang, Senior Director, Client Services:   What does it take for an Ivy League school to offer its employees a benefit that could decrease their healthcare spend while increase the health and wellness of its employees?  Seems to make sense perfect sense that an Ivy League school would have comparable benefits for the very people who make the school what it is known for today. Recently an article was written in the Yale Daily News, stating that Yale falls short in helping its e... [More]

Jordan Alhadeff, Supervisor, Service Delivery:   Well it’s the start of the 2008-09 Seahawks season and I know I am!  I have my tickets, my Seahawks shirt, and my tailgating buddies.  Like last year, I am looking forward to the pre-game festivities followed by the walk over to Qwest Field and topped off by talking about the match up with my buddies while they have a cigarette in the designated smoking area before taking our seats However this year is a bit different, and no, Qwest F... [More]

Ken Wassum, Senior Product Manager:   Is that person over at the corner table at your favorite smoke-free restaurant smoking? Maybe yes…maybe no. A new product on the market is the electronic cigarette. Here’s how they work. Each unit has a cartridge containing nicotine and water, a heating element, and a battery. Most look pretty much like a real filtered cigarette. When you puff on the filter, the element vaporizes the water/nicotine solution and you take that into your lungs. N... [More]

Ken Wassum, Senior Product Manager:   If you think about it, pregnant smokers have twice the incentive to quit that the rest of us have – their health and the health of their unborn baby. There are few things as powerful as a mother’s love for her child. So it may not be a surprise to readers that pregnant smokers typically quit at rates higher than that of smokers who are not pregnant - men and women alike. After all, smoking during pregnancy is the leading cause of poor pregnanc... [More]

Sean Bell, Senior Vice President, Strategic Development:   Free & Clear's CMO, Tim McAfee, is a man of proud Scottish heritage, so I think he must be particularly pleased with today's news published in the  New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and reported on in the Wall Street Journal. In the study, the authors prove conclusively that not only do public smoking bans work to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke in nonsmokers, but also in reducing the number of hospital admissions... [More]

Yuki Yang, Senior Director, Client Services:   A new study recently released in Perth found higher levels of nicotine and other tobacco-related particles inside the homes of smokers compared with smoke-free households, even if people smoked outdoors. The study found that when smokers went indoors after smoking, they brought in particles on their bodies and clothes and breathed out contaminated smoke that could cause damage to non-smokers. One of the conclusions from the 2006 Surge... [More]

Yuki Yang, Senior Director, Client Services:   Washington State’s smoking ban, passed on December 8, 2005 prohibiting smoking in all indoor public places and workplaces including restaurants, bars, taverns, bowling alleys, skating rinks and non-tribal casinos, still evokes strong emotions by smokers and non-smokers. Recently, a local watering hole owner and new patron exchanged words about the bar’s non-compliance to the ban. The bar’s patrons happen to be ex-patriots from countries whe... [More]