Morton Plant North Bay campus goes smoke-free

Morton Plant North Bay Hospital is joining the Pasco County Health Department’s tobacco-free initiative and will ban tobacco use on its campus, effective July 6.

The move by the hospital expands the current prohibition on tobacco in hospital buildings, a release said. It will extend the ban to all of the grounds and property, and the hospital’s designated smoking area will close.

Morton Plant North Bay has put together a system of support for staff members to help them deal with the challenges of not smoking while at work, John Couris, chief operating officer, said in the release. The hospital has scheduled a series of health fairs beginning in March and will be making smoking cessation information aides available to its staff.

It already encourages patients not to smoke during their hospital stay.

“We are very excited to be a part of the county’s tobacco free initiative,” Couris said. “It’s an important step in creating a healthier environment for everyone who enters or works on our hospital campus.”

According to the National Institute on Drug Addiction, tobacco use kills nearly half a million Americans each year. One in every six U.S. deaths can be attributed as a result of smoking. The American Cancer Society states that tobacco smoke causes nearly nine out of 10 cases of lung cancer. Non-smokers exposed to tobacco smoke in the workplace are also more likely to get lung cancer.

Morton Plant North Bay Hospital is a 122-bed facility in New Port Richey.