Thank You for Helping South Shore Hospital
Maintain a Tobacco-Free Environment

The use of tobacco and tobacco-like products is not allowed on South Shore Hospital properties, including buildings, grounds, parking lots/garages, or vehicles on hospital property.

For the Good Health of All

As of September 1, 2009, South Shore Hospital became a completely tobacco-free environment. Smoking and the use of tobacco or tobacco-like products are prohibited anywhere on hospital property. As members of the health care community, we witness the devastating toll tobacco takes on the lives of our patients, family and friends. Smoking is the leading cause of many serious illnesses— heart disease, emphysema and cancer in particular— and exposure to secondhand smoke is proven to cause heart disease and lung cancer. South Shore Hospital’s decision to eliminate the use of tobacco and tobacco-like products on hospital property supports our mission. South Shore Hospital exists to benefit the people of our region by promoting good health, and by healing, caring and comforting. Our new policy is not a campaign against people who smoke or use tobacco and tobacco-like products, but an effort to create a healthier community and address a serious public health issue. Thank you for observing our tobacco-free environment policy. Your cooperation is appreciated and supports our commitment to building a healthier community.

The Benefits of Quitting Increase Over Time

When smokers quit, the body immediately begins to change.

• At 20 minutes after quitting, blood pressure decreases and pulse rate drops.

• At 24 hours, the chance of a heart attack decreases.

• At 2 weeks to 3 months, circulation improves and lung function increases.

• At 1 to 9 months, coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease.

• At 1 year, excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker.

• From 5 to 15 years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who
  have never smoked.

• At 10 years, risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers and risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases.

Source: American Cancer Society

Supporting Your Choice

Although South Shore Hospital believes that giving up smoking and the use of other tobacco and tobacco-like products is in the best interest of all, we respect that it is a personal decision and that some individuals will choose to continue to use tobacco and tobacco-like products. Our intent is to support tobacco users in our community— patients, visitors and colleagues— in their attempts to quit or in finding alternative ways of coping while they are on South Shore Hospital property.