A new smoke-free policy whets employees' appetite to quit.

At John Morrell & Co, a meat packing plant with more than 500 employees, the decision to prohibit smoking inside the facility was made to protect employees' health and to guard against the dangers of secondhand smoke. As a result of the policy, more than 30 employees have made an effort to quit smoking-which has made the policy a success in more ways the one.

Management gave employees three months notice before implementing a new smoke-free policy on October 1, 2006. Smoking employees were also offered help with quitting. Employees were told about the Ohio Tobacco Quit Line, a free telephone counseling service that helps Ohioans quit, and the company also provided free nicotine patches to interested employees.

"We experienced a great response to the cessation services we offered," says John Morrell's Occupational Health Nurse, Jean Schechtman, RN. "About 30 employees have made an attempt to quit, and so far, they're doing really well."

For more information about John Morrell & Co's cessation assistance efforts, contact Jean Schechtman, RN at jschechtman@johnmorrell.com.

Click here to learn more about the Ohio Tobacco Quit Line or to learn about other cessation services you can offer your employees. Or click here to read how other employers are successfully addressing tobacco in the workplace.