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The Time is NOW!
Pursuing Smoke-Free
Hospital Campuses
A
ccording to the U.S.
accredited hospitals responded to
Centers for Disease
a survey assessing current smoking
Control and Prevention,
policies and future plans. This study
cigarette smoking is the
is the first of its kind to examine the
leading preventable cause of death
national prevalence of smoke-free
in America, accounting for more than
hospital campus policies.
440,000 deaths each year. Cigarette
The results from the study were
smoking and secondhand smoke
published earlier this year in the jour-
cost the U.S. economy $96.8 billion
nal Tobacco Control and concluded
in productivity losses annually.
that by February 2008, 45 percent of
Moreover, smoking-related ill-
U.S. hospitals had adopted smoke-
nesses in the U.S. create
free campus policies. In
an economic burden that
addition, another 15 per-
is estimated at more than
cent indicated that they
$193 billion per year. The
would be implementing
dangers associated with
similar policies in the near
smoking are further exac-
future. These results sug-
erbated among individu-
gest that the majority of
als with serious medical
U.S. hospitals will have
conditions, such as car-
smoke-free campuses by
diovascular or respiratory
the end of 2009.
illnesses.
The study also revealed
Dr. S haron
In 1992, the Joint
that non-teaching and
Milb erger
Commission, the world's
non-profit hospitals
Colu
mnist
largest health care stan-
were more likely to have
dards setting and accredit-
smoke-free campus
ing agency, required all of
policies. Additionally, the
its accredited hospitals to
study found that feder-
ban indoor smoking, resulting in the
ally owned hospitals were less likely
nation's first industry-wide ban on
to have smoke-free campuses. This
smoking in the workplace. At that
is likely due to the influence of fed-
time, fewer than 3 percent of hos-
eral legislation requiring all Veterans
pitals extended this indoor smoking
Administration hospitals to have
ban to include the entire hospital
a suitable and accessible patient
campus — both indoors and out-
indoor smoking area for patients and
doors.
residents.
In recent years, more and more
While the majority of hospitals
health care facilities across the coun-
have adopted, or plan to adopt,
try have been voluntarily adopting
smoke-free campues, many hospi-
100-percent smoke-free campus
tals do not plan to do so. Although
policies, reinforcing their mission to
numerous resources exist for hos-
promoting and protecting health. Not
pitals interested in adopting smoke-
only do smoke-free campus poli-
free campus policies, less is avail-
cies further promote a health care
able for sustaining and enforcing
facility's health mission, they also aid
such policies.
in employee and patient cessation
Henry Ford Health System and
efforts, lower maintenance costs and
the Joint Commission are currently
increase worker productivity.
extending their research partnership
To date, little has been known
to identify promising practices in the
about smoke-free policy prevalence
implementation and enforcement of
and its impact.
smoke-free hospital campus policies
Henry Ford Health System's
and will develop a toolkit to help fill
Center for Health Promotion and
this gap.
Disease Prevention and the Joint
Commission recently conducted
Sharon Milberger, Ph.D., of Farmington
a study to determine the national
Hills is interim director of the Detroit-
prevalence of smoke-free hospital
based Henry Ford Health System's
campus policies in U.S. hospitals.
Center for Health Promotion and Disease
More than 1,900 Joint Commission-
Prevention.
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