Hernando Today
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Health Care Community Going Tobacco-Free
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Published: August 1, 2008
Six health care facilities in Hernando and Citrus counties will ban smoking inside and on their grounds on Jan. 1.
Starting immediately, signs warning about the new smoke-free policies will be going up at Brooksville and Spring Hill Regional hospitals, Oak Hill Hospital, Citrus Country Health Department, Citrus Memorial Health System and Seven Rivers Regional Medical Center. All of those facilities are partners in the new Citrus-Hernando Tobacco-Free Community Initiative.
The ban will affect about 6,000 employees at those facilities, including doctors, volunteers and vendors. Patients and visitors will also be asked to abide by the new rules.
Representatives of the facilities, and Karen Gidden of the Hernando County Health Department want to get the word out about the new policy now to help make the transition to smoke-free campuses smooth and to raise community awareness about the seriousness of the problem.
"We believe we have the responsibility to take the leadership role in this major health issue. Part of that responsibility is to designate these campuses to be smoke free," said Gidden.
A Surprising Statistic
An estimated 19.3 percent of Florida's residents smoke, but the numbers in Hernando and Citrus counties are higher than the state average.
In Citrus County, an estimated 25.7 percent of the population smokes and in Hernando County, it's 27 percent.
The evidence of the dangers of smoking has been well documented. It's been linked to heart disease, cancer, stroke and lung disease. It's the single most preventable cause of death nationwide. Across the state, 88 Floridians die every day from smoking related diseases.
Health-care leaders are concerned about those high numbers and they believe this effort will help bring them down. In a joint statement they said, "Tobacco-free environments have the potential to improve the health of thousands, reduce health care costs and contribute to the success of environmental health initiatives."
The move to tobacco-free campuses has been gathering strength since 2003. Current estimates are that, across the country 1,252 local and/or state hospitals, healthcare systems and clinics have adopted 100 percent smoke-free campus grounds.
Locally, LifeSouth Community Blood Centers have been tobacco free for two years and the Hernando County Sheriff's Department implemented a no-smoking policy for all employees, at work and at home, four years ago.
There are good economic reasons driving these changes. At the top of the list is decreased healthcare costs and higher productivity. Less smoking means less sick days and less time spent away from work, and will relieve stressed county and local hospital budgets as well from the high cost of treating smoking-related illnesses. As for the personal impact, some estimates say the average smoker would save $1,600 a year by not buying cigarettes.
Being tobacco-free will have another benefit — eliminating exposure to second-hand smoke. Research shows that it can be just as toxic as inhaled smoke. Nonsmokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30 percent. And there is evidence that there is no risk-free level of exposure.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 70 percent of the smoking population wants to quit. The health-care community says it's committed to helping them succeed. Each will be offering programs to their employees on coping strategies, getting support and referral to any other necessary resources. Programs will also be open to the public.
Dr. Scott Gebhardt of Spring Hill is a strong advocate of anything that helps people quit. In a recent interview he told Hernando Today that his office is a smoke-free environment.
"If a person is working in an environment where there's cigarettes, like bars and restaurants where there's a lot of smokers and they themselves don't smoke, there is a significantly higher rate of emphysema and lung cancer …and it's not a stretch to say that there's now a liability to that employer."
Smoke-free campuses have been shown to be a very effective tool in the war against tobacco mainly because of the group dynamics involved in giving up cigarettes. When one person stops, it has an effect on the people around them.
A recent study from Harvard and the University of California at San Diego took the long view. They looked at the effect of smoking and in social networks over a 30-year period. It showed the closer the relationship between individuals the greater the influence when one person stopped smoking.
For instance, when one spouse quit, the other's chance of continuing to smoke decreased by 67 percent. Among friends the effect was 36 percent, and it was 34 percent among co-workers in small firms. This kind of research underlines the potential for the ripple effect just one successful quitter can create.
If you are among the 70 percent of the people who want to kick the habit, local health care providers want to help. Starting Monday, Aug. 11, "Quit Smoking Now" — a free smoking cessation program — gets under way. The program is facilitated by Gulfcoast North Area Health Education Center. Six groups sessions will be held on Mondays from that date until Sept. 22 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Oak Hill Hospital.
The Department of Health and the other partners in the initiative are available to answer questions about quitting from the public and to offer help and guidance to business owners who would like to become a tobacco-free environment.
For more information
HERNANDO COUNTY
Karen Gidden
352-540-6849
CITRUS COUNTY
Anne Black
352-527-5561
"Quit Smoking Now"
Oak Hill Hospital, 11375 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville
Cafeteria Conference Room 2
Registration or more information, call 352-540-6800 Ext. 82148
Virginia Diaz writes regularly for the Health Today section of Hernando Today. She lives in Brooksville and can be contacted at virginia.diaz61@gmail.com.
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