What is a tobacco-free campus?
Our tobacco-free policy is intended to create a healthier environment for everyone who comes to Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center whether as a patient, visitor or team member. A tobacco-free campus means that all designated smoking areas will be eliminated and the use of all tobacco products (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, pipes, etc.) is prohibited on or in all facilities used by Florida Hospital Ormond Memorial. This includes parking areas or parking lots and garages, and personal vehicles parked on campus grounds, whether owned or leased by Florida Hospital.
The good news is no matter how old you are, it’s never too late to improve your health by kicking the tobacco habit for good.
Health Benefits of Kicking The Habit: There’s Change in the Air
Tobacco is the second major cause of death in the world. It is currently responsible for the death of one in 10 adults worldwide (about 5 million deaths each year)1.
Quitting is not easy, but it’s worth the effort. Consider these short- and long-term benefits to kicking the habit:
Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking2
20 minutes after quitting
12 hours after quitting
- Carbon monoxide levels in your blood drop to normal.
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting
- Circulation improves and lung function increases.
1 to 9 months after quitting
- Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection.
1 year after quitting
- The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker.
5 years after quitting
- Your stroke risk decreases to that of a nonsmoker 5 to 15 years after quitting.
10 years after quitting
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The lung cancer death rate is about half that of someone who continues to smoke. Quiting lowers the risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix and pancreas.
15 years after quitting
- The risk of coronary heart disease is lowered to that of a nonsmoker.
1 World Health Organization. “Why is tobacco a public health priority?” Tobacco Health Initiative. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/tobacco/health_priority/en/index.html.
2 American Cancer Society. “When Smokers Quit—The Health Benefits Over Time.” Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/docroot/SPC/content/SPC_1_When_Smokers_Quit.asp?sitearea=PED