CIGARETTE-SMOKING CONTROL STRATEGIES OF FIRMS WITH SMALL WORK FORCES IN 2 NORTHEASTERN STATES

Purpose. Cigarette smoking control strategies of firms with small work forces were assessed and compared with those of larger firms. Design. A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted in 1990 among privat e employers systematically selected from a proprietary database. Setti ng. These firms were located in four counties of two northeastern stat es. Subjects. Interviews were conducted with managers of 470 small (le ss-than-or-equal-to 25 employees; n=262), medium (26-50; n=87), and la rger (>50; n=121) firms. Measures. Interviews assessed characteristics of the firms and their cigarette smoking policies and cessation progr ams. Results. Small firms differed from larger firms in several areas. They were less likely to have written policies, used fewer methods to communicate their policies, and their policies were consistently less restrictive. Small firms also offered less assistance to employees wh o wished to quit. Conclusions. The less restrictive smoking policies r eported here may be relatively ineffective in protecting nonsmokers in small firms. Small firms may encounter difficulties introducing more restrictive smoking policies because of the relative closeness of empl oyee relations, smaller work spaces, and inability to deliver smoking cessation services to employees. Methods should be developed to assist managers of smaller firms to implement stronger smoking policies and to devise ways of making cessation assistance more easily available to their employees.