MURRAY, Utah (ABC 4 News)- The signs are proudly displayed all over Intermountain Medical Center in Murray. Starting Thursday the hospital will be tobacco free.
Larry Hancock, Region VP for Intermountain’s Hospitals in the Salt Lake Valley said,” Our hospitals are places of healing, and promoting health is central to intermountain’s mission.”
However, that smoking ban at Salt Lake area Intermountain Healthcare hospitals includes the area outside of the healthcare centers. Penny Pixston says the smoking ban is going too far. Pixston says she's 53-years old and has been smoking since she was a teen.
She says even lung surgery can't stop her from kicking the habit. Pixston said,” I think there's going to be a lot of trouble and a lot of people dying because they're going to be over there trying to have a cigarette cause they aren't allowed here where they get paid.”
Pixston is talking about hospital employees. How far will they go now to get their fix?
Off the premises on the west side of IMC means as far away as the UTA Trax Station.
On the east side of the hospital smokers might have to go as far away as the Costco to catch a puff.
A man who didn’t want to be identified says he’s been smoking for about 35 years and that the new rule is ridiculous. Terry said.” Well that 's making it hard on them. They're not even going to be able to make it back their breaks.”
Nevertheless, at the Trax station Patsy Crawford of Draper says she has no sympathy for smokers who have to leave the hospital for a quick drag. She says the butt stops here. Crawford said,” They chose to take up the habit and its addiction. Now they pay the consequences whatever that might be.”
The hospital will start their tobacco-free policy in conjunction with the American Cancer Society's "Great American Smokeout." To help patients who are trying to kick the habit they'll be offered nicotine patches or gum.
