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Hospitals see the effects of tobacco every day in heart disease, respiratory ailments and numerous types of cancer. Tobacco is a significant cause of preventable disease.
In support of Sentara’s mission to improve health every day Sentara Potomac Hospital is a tobacco-free environment and does not allow the use of tobacco products anywhere on the hospital campus, including sidewalks and parking lots. This policy applies to everyone on hospital property including staff, physicians, volunteers, patients and visitors.
Starting July 4, 2011, smokers will be asked to extinguish all smoking materials while on the hospital campus, including in parked cars. Nicotine gum will be available at no charge for short term use while visitors are on the campus. Educational materials and smoking cessation information will also be offered.
“Our goal is to provide a healthier environment for everyone at Sentara Potomac Hospital by eliminating the dangerous effects of secondhand smoke and to help staff, patients, and visitors adopt a healthier lifestyle through tobacco cessation,” says Megan Perry, hospital president. “This is a positive demonstration of concern for the health of everyone using our campus.”
The boundaries of the tobacco-free zone will extend to the campus property lines. This includes the main hospital and its surrounding sidewalks and parking lots, The Potomac Center building and its surrounding sidewalks and parking lots, and the Century Medical Building and its surrounding sidewalks and parking lots.
“We understand that compliance with this policy may be difficult for some visitors,” says Perry. “That’s why we are offering nicotine replacement therapy and educational information. We are not mandating that visitors quit smoking, but rather that they refrain from tobacco use while on hospital property.
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