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June 2005

• "Hospitals across the country are adopting smoke-free policies," said North Texas Medical Center's hospital administrator Andy Anderson.¹
  
  
• "Hospitals have the responsibility to provide a smoke-free environment, where patients, visitors, physicians and employees are free from the discomfort and hazards associated with the use of tobacco products. [Smokefree policies] will prevent patients, visitors and co-workers from being exposed to second-hand smoke," a press release issued by the three University of South Alabama hospitals in Mobile and the USA Children's & Women's Hospital stated.²
  
  
• "As healthcare professionals, we have a responsibility to set an example. We see this as an opportunity to take the initiative to support what the hospital is all about, and that is providing a healthy environment that fosters healing. Tobacco use on the premises undermines those efforts," said Chuck Skillings, CEO and president of Unity Health Center.³
  
  
• "It's a matter of actions speaking louder than words. We're committed to a healthier community, and we need to lead by example," said St. Luke's Hospital spokeswoman, Kristin Jensen.⁴
  
  
• "The decision to adopt a tobacco-free environment throughout our health system was made as a result of indisputable evidence that tobacco… kills," said Mountain States Health Alliance CEO and president Dennis Vonderfecht.⁵
  
  
• "This is not a punitive measure against smokers. It's a health statement. We feel it is imperative that we do whatever we can to convince people of the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke," said Lisa Lagger, Joliet's Provena Medical Center's spokeswoman.⁶
  
  
• "There is a need to lead by example. We're a health care facility. We promote healthy lifestyles. There's probably no more obvious unhealthy lifestyle than tobacco," said Jeff St. Clair, Springhill Memorial Hospital administrator and chief operating officer.⁷
  
  
• "Ever since I started smoking, I had always thought about quitting, but never did. When MD Anderson made the rule against smoking [on hospital property], I decided this was a good time to stop," said Helen Rodman, a research nurse in Genitourinary Oncology.⁸
  
  
• "We should be a leader in providing the example of good health care. Smoking is the No. 1 health problem in our country, and smoking affects not only the individual smoker, but those around him or her. The main reason for that [a 'strong majority' of doctors voting to make the healthcare facility 100% smokefree] is, that if we are promoting good health, then our facility should be a place of good health as well," said Dr. Tom Voekler, president of the medical staff at Riverview Hospital and family practitioner at Doctor's Clinic in Wisconsin Rapids.⁹
  
  
• "We [the hospital] maintained this [totally smokefree] status with much success and have subsequently assisted a dozen other hospitals in this state to become smoke-free as well. We have a committee who has received grant funding to assist other hospitals in this state in their pursuit of smoke-free environment. A binder has been assembled with the 'best practices' of hospitals in Michigan and how they became smoke-free," Jodie Faber, United Memorial Hospital in Greenville, Michigan.¹⁰
  
  
• "It's very difficult for us to say that we are focusing on health and wellness when smoking is permitted, and we know it's the leading preventable cause of death," said Janice Sinacore-Jaberg, chief executive of Doctors Hospital.¹¹
  
  
• "It's [a smokefree hospital policy] very consistent with what hospitals are all about," said Michael King, spokesperson for Providence Hospital.¹²
  
  
• "This is a stand our two institutions [St. Joseph's Hospital and Eastern Maine Medical Center] need to take to hold ourselves up to the public as an example," Kenneth Huhn, program development manager for St. Joseph Hospital said.¹³
  
  
• "Butt hutts…will be a thing of the past," said administrator of Jeff Madison of Richards Memorial Hospital.¹⁴

REFERENCES

1. Hogue, A., "NTMC board adopts non-smoking policy," Gainesville Daily Register, August 26, 2004.
2. Curet, M., "No more smoking around some area hospitals; Total ban goes into effect Jan. 1 at some Mobile and Baldwin county facilities," Mobile Register, December 10, 2003. Downloaded at http://www.al.com/enter/index.ssf?news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1071080136283940.xm.
3. [n.a.], "Unity plans tobacco-free campus," News-Star Online, October 3, 2004.
4. Logan, T., "St. Luke's to snuff out smoking," Times Herald-Record, May 26, 2005.
5. [n.a.], "Tobacco-free policy to begin soon," Elizabethton Star, May 14, 2004.
6. Ziemba, S., "Joliet Hospital bans smoking campuswide," The Tribune, July 2, 1998.
7. Curet, M., "No more smoking around some area hospitals; Total ban goes into effect Jan. 1 at some Mobile and Baldwin county facilities," Mobile Register, December 10, 2003. Downloaded at http://www.al.com/enter/index.ssf?news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1071080136283940.xm.
8. Michon, J., "MD Anderson Medical Center Houston, TX smoke free since Jan 1, 1989," GASP-Nebraska, ETS-Talk, January 4, 2000.
9. Hicks, A., "Riverview Hospital bans smoking: policy includes entire campus, satellite clinics," Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, May 5, 2005.
10. Faber, J., "[internal memo re: hospitals and smoking]," [n.s.], July 31, 2000.
11. Associated Press, "2 hospitals ban smoking outside: cigarette use is leading preventable cause of death, executive explains," Cincinnati Enquirer, May 5, 2005.
12. Curet, M., "No more smoking around some area hospitals; Total ban goes into effect Jan. 1 at some Mobile and Baldwin county facilities," Mobile Register, December 10, 2003. Downloaded at http://www.al.com/enter/index.ssf?news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1071080136283940.xm.
13. Moore, M., "EMMC, St. Joseph ban smoking on grounds," Bangor News, 2000. Downloaded at http://www.bangornews.com/cgi-bin/article.cfm?storynumber=24276.
14. Brown, M., "RMH census, revenue up; smoking ban OK'd," Rockdale Reporter, April 28, 2005.