WORKSITE SMOKING CONTROL, DISCOURAGEMENT, AND CESSATION

SMOKEFREE, A COMPREHENSIVE SMOKING CONTROL, DISCOURAGEMENT, AND CESSATION PROGRAM, HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE EFFECTIVE IN A HOSPITAL AND WORKSITE SETTING. THE PRESENT PROPOSAL SEEKS TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS PROGRAM IN A WORKSITE SETTING. THE PROGRAM CONSISTS OF 1) SMOKING CONTROL (USE OF NO-SMOKING AND SMOKING PERMITTED SIGNS AND VERBAL PROMPTS TO CONTROL SMOKING), 2) SMOKING DISCOURAGEMENT (USE OF HUMOROUS ANTI-SMOKING POSTERS AND EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL PLACED THROUGHOUT THE WORKSITE), AND 3) SMOKING CESSATION (USE OF A STRUCTURED GROUP SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAM CONSISTING OF SIX ONE-HOUR SESSIONS OVER ATWO WEEK PERIOD UTILIZING GROUP SUPPORT, FORMAL DECLARATION OF QUITTING ON A SPECIFIED DATE, AND RELATED BEHAVIORAL PROCEDURES. THREE CHEMICAL PLANTS IN THE-NEW-ORLEANS AREA HAVE AGREED TO PARTICIPATE. TWO WILL BE RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO RECEIVE COMPREHENSIVE SMOKING CONTROL, DISCOURAGEMENT, AND CESSATION WITH THE THIRD RECEIVING SMOKING CESSATION ALONE. BASELINE MEASUREMENTS WILL BE OBTAINED AT ALL SITES ON THE NUMBER OF SMOKERS, SELF-REPORTED AND UNOBTRUSIVELY OBSERVED SMOKING RATE, AND ATTITUDES TOWARD SMOKING. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM WILL RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER RATE OF PARTICIPATION IN THE SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAM AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER CHANGES IN ATTITUDES TOWARD SMOKING AND SELF-REPORTED UNOBTRUSIVELY OBSERVED, AND CHEMICALLY VERIFIED SMOKING BEHAVIOR IN COMPARISON WITH THE SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAM ALONE.