On Sept. 1, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) enacted a smoking ban that prohibits smoking on any Medical Center campus, including the new clinic facility at 100 Oaks. The ban follows a series of increased restrictions on campus smoking, including the implementation of designated smoking areas on campus. The new ban will do away with the designated smoking areas, leaving smokers to light up mainly on the sidewalks surrounding campus.

Dr. Eric Neilson, chair of the Department of Medicine, explained the original idea for the ban was proposed by the chairs of Medicine and Surgery almost 10 years ago. In 1998, the group felt smoking was definitely a serious issue that needed to be attended to but decided to see how the ban affected other medical centers before taking the big step. Neilson described the process as gradual steps and said VUMC was now ready to become a completely smoke-free campus.

Each year, 440,000 people die in the US from tobacco use. About one in five deaths is related to smoking. Cigarettes kill more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide and illegal drugs combined.

In addition to the ban, the Medical Center increased support services for employees who want to quit smoking by offering smoking cessation counseling and group sessions at the Dayani Center and the Occupational Health Clinic. These free services are available to all Vanderbilt employees and beneficiaries of the employee health plan.

"We should support employees who will find it difficult, but as a matter of national and local health policy, the time has certainly come to make health care facilities smoke-free inside and out," Neilson said.

Neilson described the difference on campus as slight so far. "We can see a difference in larger areas, in the plaza, but it will take at least three months before we can have the chance to reflect and see the true effects. We expect good things," he said.