Legislation that would prohibit smoking outdoors on the grounds of
hospitals and residential healthcare facilities has been signed into law
by Gov. Andrew Cuomo
The legislation, sponsored by Assemblywoman
Ellen Jaffee, D-Suffern), prohibits smoking outdoors including within
15 feet of a building entrance or exit or within 15 feet of the entrance
to or exit from the grounds.
At residential health care
facilities, patients or guests of patients, will be allowed to smoke
outdoors in a designated smoking area.
“We know that secondhand
smoke is a killer,” Jaffee said. “The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention has noted that there is no risk-free level of contact with
secondhand smoke; even brief exposure can be harmful. This legislation
will ensure that hospitals and nursing homes are 100 percent dedicated
to protecting the public’s health.”
American Cancer Society
Cancer Action Network State Advocacy Director Michael Burgess said
healthcare facilities should be the leaders in the community on
health-related issues. “To allow smoking and exposure to secondhand
smoke on their property or in front of their facilities suggests tacit
approval of smoking among employees, patients, and visitors, and is not
consistent with a hospital’s mission to promote health.”
The new
law, he said, will allow hospitals and doctors to “truly promote a
wellness environment and help patients stop smoking.”
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