CEO Update_December 2017

CEO Update-December 2017

As of January 1, 2018, smoking is not permitted anywhere on hospital grounds. This includes parking lots and personal vehicles on the property. There are no designated smoking areas.

The Smoke-Free Ontario Act is in place to protect workers and the public from the hazards of second-hand smoke. As a public hospital, we support and adhere to the legislation.

This legislation is not just about protecting non-smokers from second-hand smoke. It is about helping smokers quit, smoke less and remain smoke-free, if they want to. It is about making non-smoking the social norm so that fewer children and youth become addicted to tobacco.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death, and in order for us to provide the best treatment to our patients we need to support them to quit smoking.

We know that, in the beginning, this change will not be easy for some people. However, just as with regulations governing smoking indoors, smokers will no doubt get used to this in time. Smoke-free truly can work for all of us.

There’s no better way to celebrate our right to breathe clean air than by making the decision to quit smoking.

Quitting smoking has immediate and long-term health benefits, regardless of your age or how long and how much you’ve been smoking.

Making the decision to quit is hard. Fortunately, today smokers don’t have to rely on willpower alone. Research shows that seeking support can help smokers significantly increase their chances of quitting successfully. This help may come from family and friends, health care providers, counseling programs or through medication. People who want to stop smoking can get immediate help by calling the Smokers’ Helpline at 1-877-513-5333 where they can get free advice and counseling on how to stop.

Everyone deserves the emotional, practical and medical support they need to quit successfully.

Lucy Bonanno

Chief Executive Officer, Geraldton District Hospital