On April 1 Kent Hospital will expand its no-smoking policy, which applies to inside the hospital’s buildings, to include the hospital’s grounds and become a smoke and tobacco-free campus. Smoking or the use of tobacco will not be permitted in any of the hospital’s buildings, or on the hospital’s grounds.

“As a major health care provider, Kent Hospital has a responsibility to its employees and patients to make the hospital free from barriers to good health.

In becoming a smoke-free campus, the hospital is taking a leadership role in the state by eliminating the health risks linked with smoking for patients, employees and visitors,” states Sandra L. Coletta, president and CEO.

To help ease the transition to a smoke-free campus, the hospital has developed programs to help support employees and patients who smoke. Patients and staff will be offered counseling and other support programs, as well as nicotine replacement products and other medication options.

Smoking is a powerful addiction. “As with other addictions, it is difficult to give up smoking, and without help, many smokers fail despite trying numerous times. The most effective support is a combination of behavior therapy and pharmaceutical products,” Paul E. McKenney, MD, acting vice president of medical affairs said in a statement.

Nationally, smoking is responsible for nearly one in five deaths in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in Rhode Island alone, 1,700 adults die each year from smoking, and 23,000 kids now under the age of 18 will ultimately die prematurely from smoking. Nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke absorb nicotine and other toxic chemicals just as smokers do. Each year 80 to 240 nonsmokers die from exposure to secondhand smoke.

Creating a smoke-free environment on Kent Hospital’s campus has the full support of the hospital leadership, staff and union leadership; United Nurses and Allied Professionals, the union representing approximately 600 of Kent’s employees. The smoke-free policy is applicable to all who come onto the hospital’s grounds – patients, visitors, employees, medical staff and vendors.