Most Ohio hospital campuses to be tobacco-free by Jan. 1

By the first of the year, about 80% of Ohio hospital campuses will be tobacco-free according to Tiffany Himmelreich of the Ohio Hospital Association. (Source: "Hospital campuses in region go smoke-free," Toledo Blade, Nov. 7, 2007.) The movement to make hospitals and their surrounding grounds free of tobacco "gained momentum with the statewide smoking ban voters approved a year ago." Among the measures hospitals are using to become tobacco-free include "offering smoking cessation classes for employees and encouraging people to talk to their doctors about using nicotine-replacement patches or other aids."