HYPNOSIS TO CAPTURE MINDS OF SMOKERS

Borders Council Paying To Help Staff Kick The Habit

STRESSED out smokers on the payroll of Scottish Borders Council are being
hypnotised at taxpayers' expense in an attempt to help them kick the habit
and conform to a strict no-smoking regime at work.

The sessions with hypnotherapists Andrew and Therese Glendinning are part
of a counselling and advice service which the council's personnel
department has arranged for smokers among its 1,400 administrative staff,
1,200 manual staff, and its 1,000 teachers across the region.

So far 15 employees have made use of the hypnotherapy service.

The council is paying for a maximum of two consultations at Borders
Hypnotherapy, run by the Glendinnings at Torwoodlee Mains, Galashiels. Each
session normally costs UKP40, but the council has negotiated a specially
reduced rate for the treatment.

The demand for help is expected to increase following the recent closure of
the only smoking room at the council headquarters complex in Newtown St
Boswells.

The no-smoking policy extends to all council premises, car parks, entrances
to buildings, as well as in all council vehicles.

Borders council staff are also being offered free counselling and advice to
help them deal with stress, weight reduction, alcohol and drugs. A report
prepared by personnel services says staff will be given reasonable paid
time off to attend counselling sessions.

Mrs Glendinning, who has been running the Borders hypnotherapy practice
with her husband for more than two years, said: "We cover all of those
areas for our clients, but so far the council has only asked us to help
smokers. Most people only require one session although one or two may have
to come back a second time."

She said hypnotherapy's success rate in helping people to give up smoking
was at least 60 per cent although most consultees did not disclose whether
they had managed to stop.

Mrs Glendinning explained that during the sessions clients were placed "in
a nice state of relaxation" before being given an audio-cassette to help
them relax at home. She stressed that smokers had to be determined.

"On average we see a couple of new people each week who are keen to stop
smoking and many of them are referred to us by word of mouth so we must be
helping," she added.

Councillors - who earlier this year approved a stress management policy and
even an annual budget of UKP7,500 to pay for specialist external
counselling, advisory and training services - do not appear to have been
aware that hypnotherapy would be one of the methods employed by officials
to tackle the smoking problem.

One member of the ruling group said: "It would seem the report we
considered on this subject was a catch-all because it certainly did not
mention hypnotherapy by name. The strict smoking ban is certainly causing
stress and animosity among some of the heavy smokers who work at
headquarters.

"I dare say there could be some public concern that staff are getting this
service free even though we have had to make budget cuts across all
departments. But others will argue it's money well spent if illness and
absenteeism is reduced and efficiency is improved."

It seems there will be no relief from the draconian no-smoking rules for
employees who cannot shake off their tobacco addiction. A new report to the
council's staffing committee warns that an even more stringent policy may
have to be considered in future.

At present, one of the exceptions to the rule is council-owned public halls
where function organisers can ask for smoking to be allowed at some
designated tables and seats. Borders leisure and recreation officials
estimate that banning smoking in halls would result in the loss of 75 per
cent of major bookings.

Borders council spokesman John Askew said a tiny minority of smokers who
might find it difficult to give up could receive counselling from the
occupational health unit of Borders Health Board, or hypnotherapy, or both.

But he emphasised there was no pressure on individual members of staff and
it was up to each person to decide the best way to stop smoking if they
required support.

"It is accepted that a healthy workforce is more efficient and the council
see this as a good way of helping staff," Mr Askew said.