Abbeville General Goes
Tobacco-Free and Smoke-Free May 1
Abbeville General has adopted a 100% tobacco-free campus policy that will become effective May 1st, 2016. As of this date, patients, staff, and visitors will no longer be allowed to use tobacco products of any type, including smokeless and electronic tobacco products, on any part of the hospital campus. The policy includes parking lots, sidewalks, lawn areas, and all hospital-owned properties. These properties include each of the Rural Health Clinics in Abbeville, Erath, and Maurice, the old nursing home behind the hospital, as well as all other properties adjacent to the hospital.
According to the 2010 U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke. Adopting a 100% tobacco-free campus-wide policy not only eliminates secondhand smoke exposure for patients, staff, and visitors, but also demonstrates Abbeville General’s commitment as a community leader in protecting the health of the public.
“As a leading healthcare facility, Abbeville General should be a health and wellness role model for our community, so it’s important for us to set an example by helping to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke,” said Ray Landry, CEO, Abbeville General.
Abbeville General is committed to helping its patients and staff to prepare for this change and is offering free tobacco cessation assistance for those staff members who would like to quit. For more information about a nicotine-cessation program, everyone is encouraged to go to: http://tobacco-cessation.org/whatworkstoquit.