Smoking policies and smoking cessation programs of large employers in Massachusetts.

To assess the current extent of programs and policies to facilitate smoking cessation among employees, we queried 128 large employers in Massachusetts in mid-1978. Eighty-four (66 per cent) responded. Fifty-four (64 per cent) of the respondents had designated jobs or work areas in which smoking was prohibited usually because of potential danger to products or equipment. Seven (8 per cent) of the employers provided counseling, and 10 (12 percent) provided smoking cessation programs for those employees who desired to quit smoking. There is a clear need for the development and evaluation of workplace policies and programs aimed at reducing smoking.