University Hospital & Clinics Becoming Tobacco-Free Campus

This time of year is when smokers who have made New Year’s resolutions to quit smoking are struggling to continue the fight. But, University Hospital & Clinics (UHC) is bolstering non-smokers by transitioning to a completely tobacco-free campus on February 1. This is hoped to encourage tobacco users to quit, an important step toward a healthier lifestyle and improving community health.

UHC advocates a healthy work environment and is committed to providing a safe, tobacco-free campus for all patients, visitors, employees and physicians. By policy, all tobacco products (cigarettes, e-cigs, pipes, chewing tobacco, cigars) will be prohibited on the UHCcampus, which includes all buildings, sidewalks and parking lots. This policy is intended to protect the health of non-tobacco users and provide support and encouragement to those who wish to quit by offering assistance.

“Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of preventable death and disease in Louisiana,” says Jared Stark, CEO of UHC. “Our job at UHC is to save lives and prevent disease, so becoming 100% tobacco free not only makes sense, but it is part of our obligation to the community.”

The UHC Medical Detox Unit will maintain a non-smoking environment to the extent that the therapeutic process for a patient is not jeopardized. Therefore, patients in the Detox Unit will be provided with nicotine replacement therapies during their treatment.

Lung cancer is the second-most diagnosed cancer in Louisiana (it is sometimes first), and is one of the most lethal types of all cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. In the Louisiana Tumor Registry’s latest report, they estimated approximately 3,740 new lung cancer cases would be diagnosed, and 2,670 patients would die from lung cancer, during the year.

UHC joins other Lafayette General Health campuses that are smoke-free, including Lafayette General Medical Center, the Medical Office Building housing Lafayette General Surgical Hospital and Oil Center Surgical Plaza, St. Martin Hospital and Acadia General Hospital.