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Town of Flower Mound, Lewisville hospital smoking bans begin Thursday
By Dan Eakin and Chris Roark, Staff Writers
Thursday marks the start of a new year and the beginning of some smoking restrictions in the area.
In Lewisville, Medical Center of Lewisville (MCL) will be smoke-free.
Diane Holliday, director of occupational health services for MCL, said smoking will be prohibited on all hospital property.
“This initiative represents an effort to eliminate the harmful effects of second-hand smoke anywhere on our property,” Holliday said. “This is just one way for us to set a standard for health and wellness in our community.
“Everyone deserves smoke-free air,” she continued. “Second-hand smoke contains 43 cancer-causing agents and other toxins, including formaldehyde, cyanide, carbon monoxide and arsenic. Children are especially vulnerable to second-hand smoke, which contributes to asthma, ear infections, pneumonia, and bronchitis. The U.S. Surgeon General has declared that there is no safe level of second hand smoke.”
She said MCL will continue to offer assistance to hospital employees who wish to quit smoking and will also assist patients who smoke.
“Our medical staff will offer alternatives to patients who smoke and will medically address their nicotine withdrawal symptoms while hospitalized,” she said.
“By making our campus smoke-free, we are addressing one of the No. 1 health risks today,” she continued, adding that more than $75 billion spent on health care costs in the U.S. can be attributed to smoking.
In Flower Mound, a town-wide smoking ban kicks off following a decision by the town council Nov. 3 to adopt a smoking ordinance.
The ordinance will prohibit smoking in all restaurants, bars, retail stores, indoor places of employment and public parks. It also requires a setback of 25 feet from any entrance to a public building. Hotels and motels will also prohibit smoking, but there will be a maximum of 10 percent of the rooms designated as smoking rooms.
Smoking will be allowed in private residences, personal automobiles, public sidewalks, outdoor places of employment that meet other ordinance provisions and parking lots within public parks, as long as setback requirements are met.
Council members Al Filidoro, Tim Trotter and Joel Lindsey voted in support of the ordinance. Council member Jean Levenick voted against the ordinance. Council member Jeff Tasker was not present.
“I don’t have a problem with individual rights, but I do have a problem with affecting other people,” Filidoro said at the meeting.
Several local business owners voiced their opposition for the ordinance at the meeting, and days before the ordinance kicks in, their frustrations haven’t declined.
“We’ve had a very negative response to this from our customers,” Point After North sports bar co-owner Jason Louden said Monday. “A lot of people have said that they’ll just go to Lewisville. Or Highland Village for that matter.”
Point After North has been in Flower Mound for 25 years. Louden said he expects business to drop drastically once patrons aren’t allowed to smoke inside the facility.
“We’re just going to have to look at new options,” Louden said. “We’ll have to find a new way to market.”
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
Pete wrote on Dec 30, 2008 9:03 PM:
" Business has not been negatively effected by smoking bans in other areas of the country, and I don't see why it will be any different here. "
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