Last month in a Medical Examiner article, we called into question a designated smoking area at University Hospital in a major pedestrian corridor (just outside an entrance to University’s Outpatient Center). Earlier this week we noticed it’s gone. Although its new location isn’t far from the previous site, it’s practically hidden away now. Did the move have anything to do with the Medical Examiner article? We have no idea, but whether it did or not University did the right thing.
In our view, every hospital should prohibit smoking everywhere on its property, and its ban should be actively enforced. Health care providers “have an image to uphold, a mission to accomplish and an opportunity to model best practices” and therefore “cannot ignore tobacco,” said a report authored by The Joint Commission. Indeed, the majority of US hospitals do not allow smoking anywhere on their property. Ten years ago, only about 3% of US hospitals had such bans in effect, but in 1992, The Joint Commission implemented a standard which required hospitals to adopt a non-smoking policy throughout all buildings, limiting smoking to separate, ventilated areas. There are still a few remaining pockets of the old days, but their days are numbered.
We’re confident that University will soon join the majority of all hospitals and extend the tobacco ban to its entire campus.