A worksite smoking modification competition: potential for public health impact.

We evaluated the effectiveness of a worksite smoking cessation/reduction program both with and without formal competition for monetary prizes in five worksites (n = 107). A greater percentage of eligible smokers participated in the competition (88 per cent) than the non-competition (53 per cent) condition. Treatment outcome among participants was generally equivalent across conditions, but at a six-month follow-up, nonabstinent subjects in the competition condition had lower levels of carbon monoxide than subjects in the non-competition condition. On a worksite-wide basis, a higher percentage of employees quit smoking in the competition condition (16 per cent) compared to the non-competition (7 per cent).