Virginia Tire & Auto based in Fairfax, Va., is going smoke-free at its 12 northern Virginia locations on Nov. 19, the day of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smoke-out event.
The company is seeking a healthier workforce and workplace, it says. Twenty-two Virginia Tire & Auto employees will quit smoking at the smoke-out.
“Virginia Tire & Auto is excited to participate in the Great American Smoke-out and support our employees who promise to quit smoking,” says Julie Holmes, president. “For more than 39 years we have offered an exceptional customer experience and dedicated, quality service. By making Virginia Tire & Auto a smoke-free business, we will have a healthier workforce and provide a healthier environment for our customers.”
As of Nov. 19, under the Virginia Tire & Auto Tobacco Free Campus Plan, all smoking, chewing, and use of e-cigarettes/pipes and other tobacco products will be prohibited on any property owned, operated or managed by Virginia Tire. This will provide a healthy, comfortable and professional environment for associates and customers, says the company.
To further encourage and support a smoke-free workplace, Virginia Tire & Auto offers a credit of $1,800 per year to associates enrolled in the company health plan who also abstain from tobacco use. Virginia Tire & Auto also has ceased tobacco sales at all of its gas stations.
“I have been smoking since I was 18 years old, and with the guidance and support from Virginia Tire & Auto and my family, I decided to quit smoking cold turkey,” says Philip Costa, lead service manager, Virginia Tire & Auto. “Now I’m looking forward to telling people I’m a non-smoker.”
“The American Cancer Society commends Virginia Auto & Tire for going smoke-free and for celebrating the Society’s Great American Smoke-out at their stores.
“We are pleased to be participating in their Great American Smoke-out activities and thank them for providing education and information to the community about quitting smoking,” says Mary Saunders, community manager with the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. “The American Cancer Society’s Great American Smoke-out is an opportunity to triumph over addiction. Tobacco use is still the number one preventable cause of cancer in the United States.
For more information, see www.vatire.com.
