William Osler Health Centre becoming completely smoke-free in January 2007
June 13, 2006, Brampton, ONTARIO: As part of a renewed focus on patient safety, William Osler Health Centre is launching a full-scale smoke-free policy across all its properties that will take effect on January 14, 2007, the start of National Non-Smoking Week.
Osler's policy supports and expands on new provincial government legislation banning smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces, which comes into effect today. A number of hospitals in Ontario have already taken the step of becoming completely smoke-free and more are planning to do the same.
Currently, smoking is prohibited within nine metres of Osler's hospital buildings and is permitted in designated rooms in its mental health program. When the expanded policy comes into effect next year, smoking will not be permitted anywhere in an Osler environment. To ensure a smooth transition for patients, staff, visitors and volunteers, the health centre is establishing a Smoke-Free Task Force to lead the implementation process. Over the next six months, the Task Force will be working out the specifics of the smoke-free policy, which will include support for staff and patients who wish to quit smoking.
The primary goal of the smoke-free initiative is to ensure that everyone is protected from exposure to tobacco smoke. "As a hospital group, we have a duty to provide a healthy environment for patients and visitors and a healthy workplace for staff," said Robert A. Richards, President and CEO. "Creating a smoke-free facility is a basic element in doing that."
In recent years, it has become clear that the harmful effects of tobacco use are not restricted to smokers. Non-smokers are also at risk, and research shows designated smoking rooms do not adequately shield people from secondhand smoke.
Tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of death in Ontario, killing more than 16,000 people each year in this province alone and over 45,000 Canada-wide. Treating tobacco related illness costs Ontarians over $1.7 billion annually and accounts for at least 500,000 hospital days per year.
William Osler Health Centre has approximately 730 beds and a health care team of over 4,000 staff, 700 physicians and 900 volunteers. As a regional referral centre, Osler provides programs and services to nearly one million area residents. Our faculties offer acute and ancillary health care in the growing and diverse communities of Etobicoke and Brampton, Ontario, Canada. William Osler Health Centre is growing with the opening of the newest facility – the 1.3 million square foot Brampton Civic Hospital on October 28, 2007. Major renovations to the Etobicoke General Hospital and redevelopment of the Peel Memorial Hospital are also planned.