Smokers Not Welcome

Alabama Montgomery Some hospitals have banned smoking inside a person's own vehicle if it's on hospital property...

by Associated Press

Published: Sat, May 10, 2008 - 1:26 pm CST Last Updated: Sat, May 10, 2008 - 1:39 pm CST

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Some hospitals have banned smoking
inside a person's own vehicle if it's on hospital property, a step
viewed as logical by the anti-smoking movement but repugnant to its
critics.
George Koodray, New Jersey coordinator for the Citizens Freedom
Alliance, says many see this as the beginning -- and easiest part
-- of a growing encroachment of government into people's private
lives.
While a handful of states ban smoking in cars if there are
minors inside, the move by hospitals to prohibit any puffs behind
the wheel represents new territory for those seeking a smoke-free
environment.
The ban is part of the more widely recognized effort by
hospitals to prohibit lighting up inside or outside the building,
out of public health concerns. The American Nonsmokers' Rights
Foundation in Berkeley, Calif., counts more than 1,200 with
campuswide bans.
No exact count is kept on which hospitals extend the ban to
inside a car or truck, but an Associated Press check of hospitals
in Alabama and elsewhere found that a number do.
At Mizell Memorial in Opp in south Alabama, smokers in cars get
a gentle reminder. Spokeswoman Renee LeMaire says if they have
their door open or smoke is seen coming out of a window, officials
approach and remind them of the smoking ban.
Sean Johnson, who handles security at Helen Keller Hospital in
Florence, says he doesn't hunt for people smoking in cars, but
approaches the vehicle if he sees someone or receives a report of a
person lighting up in their car.
He says he treats the smokers as he would want to be treated
while warning them of the hospital's smoking policy.
Rick Wade, senior vice president of the American Hospital
Association, says he had not heard of hospitals banning smoking in
cars, but he understands why the action was taken.
Roger Swafford of Forces Alabama, a smoker's rights group, says
the smoking ban demonstrates the hospital's complete lack of
concern for their patients.
Swafford says visitors that are smokers and willing to adhere to
the hospital policy will likely shorten visits. He also says
hospitals should have a designated area for visitors and staff
members who choose to use a legal product.

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bnot Says:

Mon, Jun 09, 2008 at 11:03 am

I don’t know how anyone can say alchohol doesn’t affect anyone but the drinker. Its ruined many marriages. It ruined my childhood as well as my brothers and sisters too, growing up with an alcholic father. Ruined my mothers life too.

Alcholism is a “family” problem.

Anyone who pops the top of a beer at noon on the dot, has a problem. And waiting another 5 minutes past noon doesn’t make you less of an alcholic.

And why do you want to complain about neighbors smoking in their back yard? Come on, people like you are the ones who “taught them” they couldn’t smoke inside buildings!

This country really needs to worry about the more important issues, and take care of them. Like gas prices, and alcholism in families.

southfan1981 Says:

Mon, May 12, 2008 at 1:35 pm

Yeah that’s right, the American Lung association is a sham.. Write your congressman and get all the funding stopped. Then get a job with RJR as their PR person. But first talk with their lawyers cause they need to get all that money back that they spent in paying off lawsuits. Just keep inhaling.

kctenac16 Says:

Mon, May 12, 2008 at 10:44 am

we are turning into a country that does nothing but bitch and moan about everything. this law is about as crazy as banning smoking in bars. when you go to a bar you expect that people will be smoking, the two go hand in hand. if they ban smoking in your own vehicle/bars, they should go ahead and ban books in schools and bibles in churches. soon, we won’t be able to breathe without government regulations in this country.

BamaGurlie73 Says:

Mon, May 12, 2008 at 10:06 am

I don’t smoke but my husband does, and even as a nonsmoker I get frustrated with some of these ridiculous banning laws. The government needs to worry more about crimes and this country’s deterioration due to meth-heads then worrying whether someone is sitting in their vehicle having a cigarette.

chip68 Says:

Mon, May 12, 2008 at 9:45 am

To me it does not matter who smokes or not, it is their choice either way. The warnings of the health risks are on every pack of cigarettes for smokers to read and if they still decide to smoke so be it. Smokers have rights to as do non smokers. Everything should not be one sided and no one should be allowed to dictate to anyone. It is amazing of all the criticism towards smokers but yet look at all the money the state and government makes off smokers with the cigarette taxes. These taxes benefit everyone, so if they by some chance stop people from smoking completely, which is doubtful, then how will the state and government compensate for this money they are accustom to receiving from cigarettes?

carl Says:

Mon, May 12, 2008 at 9:24 am

HEY! I like the part about banning all gas burners,be it lawn mower or autos. But I think perfume is a necessity in a lot of cases,especially in crowded elevators.

working4u Says:

Mon, May 12, 2008 at 8:41 am

Here we go again. Use your noodle folks. Not the first poster can, will or will ever be able to provide the first documented proven death that was caused by second hand cigarette smoke. You are more likely to win the lottery than to die from any air borne pollution alone other than carbon monoxide. You are more likely to get sick from breathing the pollen your neighbor’s lawn mower kicks up when cutting grass. I think cutting grass with a gas powered lawn mower should be banned. I think perfume should be banned. I think fuel burning vehicles should be ban within 500 yards of a hospital.

O yea, watch out for Global Warning. We are all doomed. Little green men from Mars are on the way to invade Earth.

See how silly this second hand cigarette smoke thing sounds?

BikerTod Says:

Mon, May 12, 2008 at 7:59 am

I can’t wait for the day some rent-a-cop comes up and tells me to put a cigarette out in my own car.Right.

southfan1981 Says:

Sun, May 11, 2008 at 5:28 pm

Well said M Wallace.

mwallace Says:

Sun, May 11, 2008 at 2:31 pm

It is the non-smokers who don’t have rights yet. While alcohol doesn’t harm anyone but the drinker (unless they’re behind a wheel or beating someone… which are both illegal anyway) non-smokers have to hold their breath past smokers in parking lots and drive with their windows closed on nice days to avoid being exposed to the second hand smoke from cigarettes. I refuse to enter an establishment that allows smoking in it, but I am still exposed to smoke on a daily basis, even while in my own back yard since my neighbors smoke outside.

I am tired of breathing smoke everywhere!!! Kudos to the hospital for promoting a healthy hospital campus! I don’t want nurses to be able to run to their car for a cigarette and then come back in reeking of smoke then caring for me or my children.

People visiting sick people in the hospital (or working with them) should care enough for them not to expose them to carcinogens and nicotine that comes in on their clothing after smoking a cigarette.