Hospitals prepare to comply with smoking ban

Beginning Sept. 1, the majority of hospitals across Missouri will officially become smoke- and tobacco-free campuses. The move first announced in May is backed by the Missouri Hospital Association and more than half of its 140 member hospitals are participating. Southeast Missouri Hospital announced in July it would be one of these hospitals.

But that's just the beginning. On July 31, all hospitals in Missouri legally must have tobacco-free campuses in compliance with a Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services state regulation.

The MHA said getting a head start on the regulation is by design to show enthusiasm.

"This truly was a ground-up affair. We worked with the Department of Health and were involved in pushing for this at the state level. From the beginning, it has been hospitals driving the discussion on this because they're enthusiastic about it," said MHA spokesman Dave Dillon. "The vast majority of hospitals in this state have really embraced the concept."

Saint Francis Medical Center, though, says the regulation won't demand a change. The hospital says it is already compliant with the regulation and will continue to be so.

Saint Francis does not allow smoking on its campus -- as it defines campus. That means parking lots, grass areas and sidewalks, as long as they are 50 feet from an entrance, are all acceptable smoking areas.

The hospital said the definition of "hospital campus" is adopted from one set forth by JCAHO, a hospital standards regulatory body.

"That is what we are proceeding with right now," said marketing and public relations manager Dana Hukel.

Southeast Missouri Hospital is embracing a broader definition that includes all of its leased or owned property.

It is already seeking to help smokers cope with the transition by offering smoking cessation courses. These are four-week courses, and to date, 45 employees and others associated with the hospital have enrolled.

The courses offer a complimentary 90-day supply of one FDA-approved medication for quitting tobacco use. These are four prescription drugs including a newly approved drug called Chantix, nicotine gum and the nicotine patch.

The courses also wean smokers off the psychological element that keeps them hooked.

"After five days the nicotine in your system is gone," said wellness manager for Southeast Debbie Leoni. "So that's not what brings you back three weeks or three months or three years from now. It's the habit and the comfort zone that smoking creates that can be really strong, so we talk a lot about getting out of those habits."

Leoni said she is teaching 14 courses and expects the number to get higher as the Sept. 1 deadline approaches.

"For a lot of people, this was just the last straw that made them decide to quit," she said.

Saint Francis also has smoking cessation resources in place.

In stressing the need for tobacco-free campuses, the MHA points to the catastrophic health effects smoking has on Missourians. A 2004 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found tobacco contributes to or causes the death of 9,700 Missourians each year.

tgreaney@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245