Living a Healthier Life,
Tobacco-Free

Our heritage as an advocate for healthier living began nearly 150 years ago when our sponsoring organization, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, took an early stance against tobacco in the 1800s and began smoking cessation programs in the 1960s. In fact in 1960, Dr. J.W. McFarland, recognizing the harmfulness of tobacco, developed a program that helped people quit in five days. To continue this legacy, Washington Adventist Hospital is adopting a tobacco-free policy on Thursday, November 15, 2007.

The policy, which restricts the use of tobacco on the campus, will create a healthier environment for patients, visitors, physicians, volunteers and employees. The policy prohibits smoking and chewing of tobacco in all hospital facilities, off-site offices, parking areas, and on outdoor grounds. Smoking cessation classes and nicotine support groups are available to the community. For more information call 1-800-542-5096.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, claiming over 400,000 lives each year. One in every five deaths in the United States is smoking related.