 |
UCSF a Smoke-Free Workplace: Info & Resources
On November 20, 2008, UCSF became a 100 percent smoke-free environment. This means that smoking is not permitted on any property leased or owned by UCSF and the designated smoking areas on Parnassus and at Mt. Zion have been removed.
UCSF is proud to join a growing number of healthcare institutions across the US that is now 100 percent smoke free. The goal in implementing this policy is to protect the health of patients, visitors, and staff from the dangers of second-hand smoke.
Research has found that implementing a smoke-free policy at medical centers is associated with a decrease in the prevalence of regular cigarette smoking from 16.7 percent to 13.8 percent and with a smoking cessation rate of 22.5 percent among employees in the first year alone.
The inability to smoke on campus may be difficult for some people. UCSF is committed to offering the best tobacco treatment for patients and staff. The in-patient tobacco treatment program has been redesigned, and there are programs in place to help staff and visitors who smoke. Many resources are includes on this Web page.
You Can Quit Smoking
(Statistics from the Center for Disease Control)
- In 2006, 45.3 million adults (20.8 percent) in the United States were current smokers. An estimated 70 percent of these smokers said they wanted to quit.
- An estimated 19.2 million adult everyday smokers in 2006 had stopped smoking for at least 1 day during the preceding 12 months because they were trying to quit.
- An estimated 45.7 million adults were former smokers in 2006, representing 50.8 percent of those who had ever smoked.
- 20 minutes after quitting – blood pressure drops to level close to that before the last cigarette; temperature in hands and feet increases to normal
- 8 hours after quitting – carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
- 24 hours after quitting – chance of heart attack decreases
- 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting – circulation improves; lung function increases
- 1 to 9 months after quitting – coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease
- 1 year after quitting – excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker
- 5 to 15 years after quitting – stroke risk is reduced to that of a non-smoker
- 10 years after quitting – lung cancer death rate is half that of a continuing smoker
- 15 years after quitting – risk of coronary heart disease is that of a non-smoker