Promotion of worksite smoking policy in two Minnesota communities

Letters offering free on-site consultation and a worksite smoking policy manual were offered to 560 employers in Mankato and 300 in Bloomington, Minnesota. Only 49 in Mankato and 28 in Bloomington participated. Pre- and post-survey questionnaires completed by a manager in each company showed increases in the number of companies with written smoking policies, the portion of space in each company that was smoke-free, and the number of companies offering self-help smoking cessation programs. The low response rate and absence of a comparison group prevented the conclusion that the intervention produced these changes.