A study by OnePoll - to coincide with National No Smoking Day today - found companies are losing valuable time to nicotine addiction.

Now Sheffield NHS Stop Smoking Service is reminding city businesses that it can offer a chance to stub out these breaks and help employees to become smokefree.

The Workplace Stop Smoking Programmes are co-ordinated by Health Promotion Officer Gillian Foster, whose role is provided jointly by Sheffield Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Sheffield City Council.

Companies that have already participated in workplace programmes include Corus, Outokumpu Stainless Distribution, Bovis Lend Lease, Stauff UK, Sheffield United FC, Veolia and Sheffield Forgemasters Engineering Ltd. Midland Mainline also received stop smoking support.

Gillian has also been working with Sheffield Business Park in a seven-week lunchtime clinic for smokers wanting to quit.

What do you think of the research findings? Do smokers take more breaks than non-smokers? Should employers help workers to stop smoking? Post your comment below.

Following the success of the clinic, park manager Rebecca Wyatt and Gillian have now decided to launch a weekly drop-in session for other workers on the 200-acre site who want to kick the habit.

"With around 2000 people working here, we thought there were bound to be some who would like to quit. It isn't easy, so we are keen to offer what support we can as a community," says Rebecca.

Gillian added: "Sheffield Business Park is a fantastic location for us because so many firms are based there and we can reach so many people. Workplace clinics are designed to be convenient - so many people have busy lives - and are about giving advice and support to those who want to stop smoking."

She went on: "By using clinics and medication, smokers can increase the likelihood of successfully quitting by as much as four times. There are now eight different types of medication and we can provide smokers with the necessary information to make the right choice to suit them."

A recent workplace programme at Learndirect in Sheffield also proved to be a success.

One member of staff, Claire Martin, aged 35, from Woodseats said: "I wanted to make use of the programme as it was convenient and I would never have made the time to go to one elsewhere.

"The programme was brilliant and I don't think any of us would have been successful if we hadn't have attended these particular sessions. All of us in the group were pretty hardened smokers so quitting is a real achievement for us."

The overall aim of widening the support to cover different groups of people in the city will mean that getting free stop smoking support will be easy and accessible for everyone.

John Soady, spokesman for Public Health at Sheffield PCT, said: "The survey results confirm what we already know, that workplace smoking is as much an economic issue for employers as it is a health issue for employees. It makes sense to make it part of your business to provide staff with information and support them in stopping smoking.

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