Sikeston hospital to go tobacco-free on its property

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Missouri Delta Medical Center has made its own New Year's resolution: to be tobacco-free.

"Beginning Aug. 1, 2012, Missouri Delta Medical Center will adopt a tobacco-free campus as a health and wellness initiative," said Jason Schrumpf, president of Missouri Delta. "This policy is designed to preserve the health of our employees, patients, visitors and volunteers along with fulfilling the hospital's mission of promoting the general health of our community."

Smoking is a health and safety hazard both to tobacco users and nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke, carrying very serious health risks, Schrumpf said.

He noted tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S. and that Missouri ranks third in adult smoking rates in the nation. Nearly 10,000 Missourians die from tobacco-related illnesses ever year. Annual health costs from tobacco use are estimated at $1.96 billion statewide with the lost productivity estimated at $2.34 billion.

"Hospitals in our region and across the state are working to decrease such statistics," said Sharon Urhahn, director of marketing for Missouri Delta. "Going tobacco-free is a growing trend among hospitals nationwide."

In an effort to be sensitive to the difficulty of quitting tobacco due to the addictive nature of nicotine, Missouri Delta is providing ample time for people to prepare for the change. Hospital staff were notified at the beginning of the month that the policy would go into effect this year.

"We're doing a lot of education for our employees, providing a lot of resources for them to help them either quit smoking or learn to cope with not smoking while at work," Urhahn said. "It's going to be a gradual process."

Right now, tobacco products are only allowed in a designated area, Urhahn said.

The designated smoking area is a semi-enclosed booth located in the parking lot by the emergency room entrance.

"We are still accumulating suggestions on what to do with the area once we become tobacco-free," Urhahn said. "But as of Aug. 1, there will be no smoking on the campus at all."

The policy not only applies to all forms of smoking tobacco and to chewing tobacco and snuff.

"No smoking, no dipping -- nothing involving tobacco," Urhahn said.

By campus, hospital officials mean all properties owned or leased by Missouri Delta -- inside and outside -- including vehicles. The policy even prohibits smoking and the use of tobacco inside personal vehicles while they are on the hospital's parking lots.

"To smoke in their vehicle, they would have to leave campus," Urhahn said.

"I know I need to quit and this will probably help me quit," said Shirley Redfering of East Prairie, Mo., a lab technician for the hospital. "It's going to make my husband very happy because he doesn't smoke."

The policy will be in place not only for employees but also for patients, visitors, volunteers, students, contractors, sales representatives and anyone else who works on or visits hospital properties.

"It is in effect for everybody, so we hope that people will adhere to the new policy," Urhahn said.

Pertinent address:

1008 N, Main St., Sikeston, MO