Effective today, French Hospital Medical Center’s (FHMC’s) entire hospital campus is 100% tobacco free. This policy applies to all patients, visitors, medical staff members, volunteers, vendors and employees. As of today, December 1, 2008, no tobacco use of any kind is permitted inside hospital buildings, in our parking lots, or on the grounds of our facility. FHMC has always provided smoking cessation help to its employees and patients by offering nicotine patches, tips for successful quitting, and support group information. Beginning today, December 1, 2008, FHMC is extending this offer to visitors. The hospital is also offering tobacco cessation “kits” to its visitors and patients to help them with cessation efforts and cravings while on campus property.
Alan Iftiniuk, FHMC CEO and President says, “As the recent recipient of the prestigious 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in the Nation Award, we have an obligation to be the model of healthy cardiac behavior we wish to see in our community. This effort compliments other recent initiatives by French Hospital including the HeartAware™ free online cardiac risk assessment, our long term partnership with the American Heart Association and its Start! program, and the current construction of an outdoor fitness zone that promotes health and wellbeing of our patients, employees, physicians, volunteers, and community.”
A FHMC Tobacco-Free Campus Committee made up of smokers and non-smokers has helped in shaping this new policy.
According to the American Cancer Society, smoking is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths in the United States. It is a major cause of several cancers, including lung. The Surgeon General has said second-hand smoke causes 35,000 – 45,000 deaths each year from heart disease and another 3,000 deaths from lung cancer in nonsmokers. The Surgeon General has added that second-hand smoke is a serious health hazard and should be banned in all work places. Nonsmokers who are exposed to second hand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25-30% and lung cancer by 20-30%.
