Effects of the implementation of a smoke-free policy in a medical center
- PMID: 1424878
- DOI: 10.1378/chest.102.5.1531
Effects of the implementation of a smoke-free policy in a medical center
Abstract
The implementation of a smoke-free policy in this medical center was associated with a decrease in the prevalence of regular cigarette smoking from 16.7 percent to 13.8 percent and a smoking cessation rate of 22.5 percent among regular smokers over the 2 1/2 years since the policy was announced. This decrease in prevalence is the result of both smoking cessation among existing employees and less frequent regular smoking among new employees. At two-year follow-up, the policy was overwhelmingly endorsed by medical center staff overall but was viewed less favorably by those who continued to smoke. Nevertheless, over the 2 1/2 years, many of these smokers have been in the action stage of cessation (37.1 percent made a serious attempt to stop smoking, 20.7 percent had used nicotine polacrilex in a smoking-cessation effort, and 13.8 percent had attended a formal cessation program). The implementation of a smoke-free policy has made a significant contribution toward providing a healthful work environment and toward encouraging nonsmoking behavior in staff and patients.
Comment in
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Pulse oximetry in the postoperative care of cardiac surgical patients. A randomized controlled trail.Chest. 1992 Nov;102(5):1367-70. doi: 10.1378/chest.102.5.1367. Chest. 1992. PMID: 1424853 Clinical Trial.
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