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It's official ... butt out at the hospital

North Bay General Hospital and Northeast Mental Health Centre News Release ******************** The Boards of the North Bay General Hospital and the Northeast Mental Health Centre approved the motion for all properties solely owned and leased by thes
Kate Adams
North Bay General Hospital and
Northeast Mental Health Centre
News Release

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The Boards of the North Bay General Hospital and the Northeast Mental Health Centre approved the motion for all properties solely owned and leased by these corporations to be smoke free effective July 1, 2011 at a joint meeting held on Friday.

“Before we can create smoke free properties, we [Boards] have to ensure we have done our due diligence,” stated Phil Geden, NBGH Board Chair. “In January, we announced we would be smoke free except for patients who were allowed to smoke in designated areas and with the goal of going smoke free within two years. We also asked our Administration to work towards ensuring smoking cessation programs are in place for patients and staff; plans are in place for enforcement and for the safety of patients and the public leaving NBRHC properties to smoke. This work is well underway and will be in place by end of June and we are confident now, with the help of a City By-Law and support from the District Health Unit, NBRHC properties will be declared smoke free effective July 1, 2011,” explained Geden.

Mary Tasz, NEMHC Board Chair explained that today, the Boards passed a motion that requests the City of North Bay to implement a bylaw requiring the hospital to enforce its current policy of allowing patients to smoke in designated areas on the properties of NBRHC, with the understanding that complete implementation of a smoke-free properties will occur on July 1, 2011.

Dr. Jim Chirico, Medical Officer of Health with the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit supports the motion. “The due diligence the Boards have done to ensure patient and public safety has allowed them to make this decision today; a decision that we fully support and will help implement,” stated Chirico.

“The Smoking Advisory Committee is to be commended for its work over the past couple of years to help make our smoke free hospital a reality,” added Geden.

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