Smoke Free Policy Talking Points

TOBACCO FREE CAMPUS For better health Including indoor and outdoor areas Talking Points These Talking Points are intended to provide a context and framework for discussion with key constituents and stakeholders and are not intended to be distributed.

 [ Hospital name ] will become a Tobacco Free campus on July 4, 2007.  Our mission calls us to improve the health of the individuals and communities we serve. Because of our mission, we believe that we have a responsibility to take a leadership role on this major health issue and promote a healthier environment by becoming Tobacco Free. As a healthcare organization, we are committed to the health and safety of our employees, physicians, volunteers, visitors and patients.  [ Hospital name ] has joined hospitals across Mississippi in a statewide effort to become Tobacco Free. The Mississippi Hospital Association and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi are endorsing this initiative.  We believe our patients, visitors, employees, volunteers, physicians and broader community will see a significant health benefit as a result of this initiative. It is the right thing to do for the health of our community.

New Tobacco Free Campus Policy

Our Tobacco Free campus policy takes effect on July 4, 2007. This action requires consistent demonstration of the following service behaviors as identified in [ culture of care ]

 We are sensitive to the environment of our patients and coworkers.  We promote and participate in creating a healthier community.  We keep our surroundings neat and clean.

In practice, this means that individuals will refrain from the use, sale and/or littering of all tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, pipes and smokeless tobacco) inside or outside any [ hospital ] facility or property. This policy applies regardless of whether a facility or property is owned, leased or rented and whether or not the owner or other tenants follow similar guidelines. This includes all buildings and properties of the hospitals, including [ list all areas here ].

It also requires that individuals, while on our property, take the necessary steps to minimize, and ideally, eliminate odor resulting from the off-campus use of tobacco products.

Also, out of respect to those who are most directly affected by this policy, individuals are accountable for consistent demonstration of the following service behaviors:

1  We create a supportive environment.  We show compassion.  We offer a ministry of concern for others.  We identify options for those we serve.

In practice, this means that the rights of individuals to make lifestyle choices are respected. This policy does not set an expectation that people discontinue the use of tobacco products. Individuals who choose to use tobacco products off campus are not to be judged or criticized for their decisions. It simply requires that those products are not used on [ hospital campus ].

Observation of someone using tobacco products on [ hospital name ] properties requires a respectful and empathetic communication that results in the individual discontinuing the use of the tobacco product and discarding it in the appropriate receptacles. For those individuals who do seek to change their lifestyle and discontinue the use of tobacco products, three months of support is being provided free of charge courtesy of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi.These individuals are to be recognized and acknowledged for their commitment to improve their own personal health.

We will provide our guests with information about resources to help them stop the use of tobacco products permanently.

1. Hospital employees and volunteers may not smoke or use other tobacco products anywhere on [ hospital ] property. Smoking and the use of other tobacco products will not be permitted during paid working hours. 2. Medical Building staff and clients may not smoke or use other tobacco products anywhere on the [ hospital name ] property.

Associates who Smoke:

 The issue is not about whether an employee or volunteer chooses to smoke, it is about WHERE that employee or volunteer smokes. This policy does not mandate that you quit, but smoking will not be permitted during paid working hours.

Support to Help Smokers Transition:

 [ list all resources here ]

Benefits of a Tobacco Free Workplace:

 Your health is one of the health system’s most valuable assets. The new policy is an important step to ensure we do everything we can to preserve it, reinforcing our status as an “employer of choice.”  In addition to improved health for everyone, other advantages of a Tobacco Free environment include:  a cleaner workplace;

2  decreased fire risk;  decreased maintenance costs;  lower medical costs; and  improved productivity.

Facts about Smoking:

 Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,800 chemicals; 69 of which are known to cause cancer.  Smoking is directly responsible for 90 percent of lung cancer deaths.  8.6 million people have at least one serious illness caused by smoking.  For every person who dies of a smoking-related illness there are 20 more who suffer from a serious illness related to smoking.  Smoking is a major factor in coronary heart disease and stroke.  Neonatal healthcare costs attributed to maternal smoking are estimated in excess of $366 million per year.

Information provided by the American Lung Association.

Smokeless Tobacco Facts:

 Smokeless tobacco includes chew tobacco and snuff. These products contain tobacco leaf and a variety of additives.  Chew tobacco is not a safe alternative to smoking. One can of chew tobacco has triple the cancer-causing chemicals compared to a pack of cigarettes. In fact, chewing tobacco and snuff contain 28 cancer-causing agents.  About 8,000 people die (70 percent from oral cancer) every year due to chewing tobacco use.  Other cancers caused by tobacco include cancer of the pancreas, nasal cavity, urinary tract, esophagus, pharynx, intestines and the stomach.  Snuff and chewing tobacco causes bad breath, discoloration of teeth and tooth decay that lead to tooth loss.  Smokeless tobacco is more addictive and may be harder to quit than smoking because it contains higher levels of nicotine than cigarettes.  One can of snuff delivers as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes.  Double dippers who mix snuff and chewing tobacco are more likely to develop pre- cancerous lesions than those who use only one type of chewing tobacco.

Information provided by the Academy of General Dentistry.

3 Facts about Secondhand Smoke:

 Smoking or breathing secondhand smoke damages nearly every organ in the human body, is linked to at least 10 different cancers, and accounts for some 30 percent of all cancer deaths. And it costs billions of dollars each year.  Secondhand smoke causes approximately 3,000 lung deaths and 35,000 heart disease deaths in non-smokers in the United States annually.  Non-smokers exposed to environmental smoke were 25 percent more likely to have coronary heart diseases compared to non-smokers not exposed to smoke.  Secondhand smoke has been classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a known cause of cancer in humans.  Secondhand smoke is especially harmful to young children.  Secondhand smoke is responsible for 150,000 to 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under 18 months of age.  Smoking by parents is associated with a wide range of adverse effects in their children including asthma, increased frequency of colds and ear infections and sudden infant death syndrome.

Information provided by the American Lung Association.