CRANSTON – Using the annual Great American Smokeout, a national tobacco-awareness day, as a catalyst, hospitals throughout the state last Thursday implemented policies that prohibit tobacco use on their property – not just indoors, as was already the case, but also outside.
The move was initiated by the Hospital Association of Rhode Island and involved its nine members: Landmark Medical Center, Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, The Miriam Hospital, Newport Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital, Roger Williams Medical Center, St. Joseph Health Services of Rhode Island, South County Hospital and The Westerly Hospital.
In addition, Women & Infants Hospital, which is not part of HARI, also went tobacco-free last week. Fellow Care New England member Butler Hospital went smoke-free in May, and Kent Hospital is slated to go smoke-free next April.
The HARI initiative was made possible through the support of the American Cancer Society and Jenn Lee Design.
“Today marks a day of positive change and heightened awareness for the risks of second-hand smoke,” said Jim Beardsworth, state director of communications for the American Cancer Society, in a news release Thursday. “Establishing tobacco-free campuses as we celebrate the Great American Smokeout sends an important message of prevention and education on the risks of tobacco use.”
“I commend all of the hospitals that are leading the way with this important public health policy,” said Dr. David R. Gifford, the state health director. “Hospitals should continue to be models for demonstrating healthy behaviors. This reinforces the fact that smoking is not healthy and there is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke.”
Dr. Kathleen C. Hittner, chair of the HARI board and president and CEO of The Miriam Hospital, said the new policy “will further the hospital mission of providing quality health care in a clean, safe and healthy environment.”
Constance A. Howes, president and CEO of Women & Infants, said that while the hospital “may cause some discomfort for our patients, visitors, employees and physicians, we believe that as a health care facility we must promote healthy practices.”
“Smoking is a known cause of cancer and a host of other illnesses,” she noted, “both for those who smoke and those who breathe second-hand smoke. By making our campus smoke- and tobacco-free, we actively support quitting and encourage healthy behavior.”
To help employees who want to quit smoking as the new policy is being implemented, hospitals have been offering smoking cessation programs and tools. Those who want to continue to use tobacco, HARI said, are encouraged to leave hospital property and are asked to avoid loitering or the disposal of materials on public or private property.
At Women & Infants, Coastway Credit Union, which operates a branch at the hospital, has offered a special “goal-oriented” savings CD to hospital employees, patients and visitors, with an interest rate that is a quarter of a percentage point higher than other plans. It is designed to help smokers who quit bank the money they would ordinarily spend on cigarettes.
