Beginning April 3, 2006 the use of tobacco products, not just cigarettes, will not be allowed on Piedmont's campus.

Target date for change is April 3, 2006; allows time for transition plan

There’s simply no denying the dangers of smoking.
The list of diseases to which it is linked is long: heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer and emphysema.

For that reason, the entire campus of Piedmont Medical Center, including the grounds and parking lots, will go tobacco free Monday, April 3, 2006.
“As the healthcare leader in our community, it’s important for us to be the role model for others when it comes to healthy habits,” said Piedmont President and CEO Charlie Miller.

Tobacco-free hospitals growing trend

The number of tobacco-free hospitals is growing in the Carolinas. In the last year, Colleton Medical Center in Walterboro, S.C., Hilton Head Regional Medical Center in Hilton Head, S.C.; Rowan Regional Medical Center in Salisbury, N.C., Northeast Medical Center in Concord, N.C., and Stanly Memorial Hospital in Albemarle, N.C. all have announced plans to eliminate tobacco use on their grounds.
 Piedmont has not permitted smoking within its buildings for years, but patients, visitors and staff are allowed to use tobacco products outside in designated areas.

Why change at Piedmont?

 “We are an organization focused on providing good health care. How can we do that if we allow smoking?” asks Chris Schroeder, M.D., a surgeon and chief of Piedmont’s medical staff. “We are dedicated to doing the best thing for our patients, and we don’t feel we can allow them to do something as harmful as to smoke while they’re here or to breathe someone else’s smoke on our grounds.”       
   

         
Preparing for the change

To prepare for a tobacco-free campus, Piedmont has organized a tobacco-free task force of employees who are smokers, former smokers and non-smokers. “We know this will be a difficult change for some of our patients, visitors and staff members, so it’s essential that we design a workable plan that takes those issues into consideration,” said Claudia Douglass, vice president of ancillary services and co-chairperson of the task force. “We plan to offer resources and support to our staff and to the public who want to take this opportunity to give up tobacco altogether.”
For staff and community members who want to quit, Piedmont already offers Freshstart Smoking Cessation Classes. For information, visit www.piedmontmedicalcenter.com/events or call (803) 329-1234. The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control also offers a hotline to connect smokers to trained counselors. Call 1 (877) 44U-QUIT toll free.