Board of Health bans smoking at 800 facilities

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The Oklahoma Board of Health has taken a step to stamp out smoking near hospitals and other health care facilities statewide. <br><br>The board voted unanimously Thursday to ban smoking

Friday, February 15th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The Oklahoma Board of Health has taken a step to stamp out smoking near hospitals and other health care facilities statewide.

The board voted unanimously Thursday to ban smoking within and near entrances to hospitals, nursing homes, assisted-living centers and residential care facilities. The prohibition also applies to ambulances, aid vans, emergency rooms, birthing centers and adult day care centers.

``The tobacco industry has targeted Oklahoma, and we've proven to be fertile ground,'' said board President Ron Graves, an oral surgeon from Ardmore. ``It's unimaginable that we haven't seen more changes in anti-tobacco policies until now.''

The measure now goes to Gov. Frank Keating, who has 45 days to sign it.

The item approved Thursday prohibits smoking or possessing a lighted tobacco product within health-care facilities, within 15 feet of health-care facility entrances and within 15 feet of any building's air-intake or air-conditioning system.

No ashtray may be within 15 feet of an entrance. Walkways to entrances also must be smoke free.

Health care facilities still may have designated outdoor smoking areas and may designate an entrance other than the building's main entrance with ashtrays closer than 15 feet. That one exception allows health-care personnel to observe patients who smoke.

Buildings also may have an indoor smoking room for use by addicted patients. But any indoor smoking area must be enclosed and have an exhaust system directly to the outside.

``I don't want those indoor smoking rooms contaminating the rest of the building,'' said board member Jay Gregory of Muskogee.

Mary Brinkley, executive director of the Oklahoma Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, said the prohibitions struck an acceptable balance for most medical facilities.

State Health Department records show that about 6,000 Oklahomans die prematurely each year from smoking-related diseases. Exposure to second-hand smoke is estimated to cause 750 deaths a year.

Board members and Health Commissioner Dr. Leslie Beitsch aimed much of their criticism Thursday at state legislators for failing to make tough anti-smoking laws a priority.

``Oklahomans need to recognize the harm that is caused by tobacco,'' Beitsch said.