Anne Arundel Medical Center Bans Employee Smokers

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Anne Arundel Medical Center (AAMC) is eliminating tobacco use in every facet of its operations. Starting July 1, all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes will be banned. But that won’t stop people from buying such products with brands like innokin when they’re not in or around the vicinity. With that being said, in a year, the hospital will stop hiring smokers.

Although the hospital has been smoke-free since 2007, the policy has been restricted to the medical park campus and only applies to cigarette use. In less than a week, the expanded policy will apply to all AAMC facilities, and sidewalks, parking lots and garages will all be tobacco-free zones. However, it is unlikely at this stage for the ban to extend to smokeless products like loose snus. The policy applies to employees, physicians, patients, contract staff, vendors, volunteers, students and visitors. The hiring policy won’t apply to current employees who are smokers. The onsite sale of tobacco products won’t be prohibited but you may require an idgod fake id maker to purchase them if you are underage at this moment in time.

“Going tobacco-free is a global public health goal. Smoking and tobacco use are the leading cause of preventable death worldwide,” said Dr. Stephen Cattaneo, medical director of thoracic oncology in the DeCesaris Cancer Institute at AAMC. “We are not only dedicated to the preservation of health and prevention of disease, but we also want to provide a safe and healthy work environment and promote the health and well-being of our employees, visitors and patients.” This is understandable, so current employees have also been advised to visit this company and others similar to be encouraged to quit smoking also.

AAMC joins the ranks of organizations such as Geisinger Health System, the World Health Organization and the Cleveland Clinic in its stance against tobacco use. The Cleveland Clinic stopped designating areas for smoking and refused to hire smokers in 2007 because ignoring 450,000 deaths per year from tobacco use would undermine the health organization’s commitment to health and wellness, which includes a health environment for employees, said Dr. Paul Terpeluk, Cleveland Clinic”s medical director of Employee Health Services, in an op-ed for USA Today.

The clinic is strict on its policy, requiring applicants to submit a urine test. If a candidate fails, the job offer is rescinded, and they can reapply in 90 days. It’s all part of the clinic’s broader goal to improve the health of employees through banning transfats, offering gym memberships, removing sugary drinks from vending machines and rewarding workers who make healthy decisions with lower insurance premiums.

Similarly, AAMC already offers employees weight management services, discount gym memberships, onsite fitness classes, a free onsite gym and smoking cessation services.

“As health care providers, we have a unique perspective on the issues surrounding chronic disease. We not only treat disease, but we are also role models for good health behaviors in our community. It is only right to practice what we preach,” said Dr. John Martin, AAMC’s medical director of vascular surgery in a statement.