Beginning January 2009, Stony Brook University Medical Center willcompletely smoke free. An upcoming smoking ban will soon cover all of the East campus west of Health Science Drive. “This is a health care institution,” said Lauren Sheprow, public relations director for the hospital. In order to provide the best care for patiens, the hospital decided to get rid of cigarette smoke.
“The decision to make the hospital smoke-free will [have] a positive impact in the community,” Sheprow said. If the hospital did not institute the policy, it would be in jeopardy of falling behind other hospitals.
Hospitals located in the Midwest have already implemented a smoking ban on the hospital campuses there, according to mdhospitals.org.
Many hospitals achieved this goal by using cessation programs such as meetings or even assistance on a cd-rom at no extra charge like the University of Michigan Hospital has done to rid smoking in their area.
But smoking can have deadly results. Cigarettes contain over 4,800 chemicals and 69 of those are carcinogens, according to the American Lung Association. Smoking represents over 90 percent of lung cancer deaths and emphysema deaths, and 8.6 million people suffer from cigarette illnesses.
Chronic lung disease accounts for 73 percent of smoking-related conditions and even after quitting it accounts for 50 percent. But some employees and hospital visitors may have to change their routine. With the new smoking ban, smoking breaks for employees will be out of the question, and any sense of relief they may have provided will have to be achieved some other way.
Aage Dendenin, a university officer stationed at the emergency entrance, said the smoking ban is unreasonable for employees, patients and guests.
He said the ban would alter the lifestyles of employees that have been there for many years. He went on to say that despite the smoking cessation programs that will be offered through the hospital, no one is going to quit if they do not want to.