IMPROVING CANCER PREVENTION AT THE WORKSITE - HOW ARE BELGIAN COMPANIES DEALING WITH SMOKING REGULATIONS

Little is known about the impact of smoking policy on companies' polic ies related to smoking in Belgium. The study was designed in order to compare the companies' policies related to smoking (CPRS) in 1990 and in 1993. During this 3 year period, numerous information and regulatio n inputs (media, brochures) were aimed at companies to regulate smokin g behavior in the workplace, so as to reduce the risks of passive smok ing. A short questionnaire was mailed to 3543 Belgian companies in Oct ober 1990 and in June 1993 to assess: designation of smoke free areas (SFA); willingness to offer a worksite information program (WIP); will ingness to offer a worksite smoking cessation program (WSCP); willingn ess to subsidize a WSCP; willingness to offer a WSCP during working ho urs; willingness to offer a meeting room for a WSCP and actual organiz ation of a WSCP. In 1990, 773 companies (22%) and in 1993, 890 compani es (25%) responded to the questionnaire. The results showed that small companies and companies with a high blue/white collar ratio were less able to implement health policy recommendations. A total of 325 (9%) companies responded to the 1990 and 1993 questionnaires. Comparison of 1990 and 1993 dataset showed that during this 3 year period, no major changes occurred for a majority of companies. Amongst the small posit ive changes, only the designation of smoke free areas and the organiza tion of a small number of WSCP was observed. The conclusion is that de spite inputs, little impact on smoking policies is noticeable. Strateg ies designed to intensify inputs and to promote implementation of regu lation of WSCP should therefore further be studied. (C) 1997 John Wile y & Sons, Ltd.