State seeks to make hospitals smoke-free

Publication Date: 2011-01-06

• Publication:WHDH

Massachusetts is looking to make its hospitals smoke-free this year.

State and hospital leaders are looking to launch a new program that would ban smoking at all of the state's hospitals.

They're hoping this program will protect and improve the health of residents and reduce health care costs.

"Hospitals are stewards of public health, and tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, so this is a voluntary initiative, but one that we take very seriously, and we're doing it in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health,” said Mass. Hospital Association President Lynn Nicholas.