Smoking is Smoking

We are seeing an increase in the use of vapor cigarettes on the WMHS campus.  In some cases, patients and visitors are brazen enough to fire up their battery operated cigarette in physician waiting rooms.  Not so fast.  Smoking is smoking.  The second hand smoke from an e-cigarette may not be harmful, but the vapping process is harmful since the it's still nicotine.  Also, the FDA is finally getting involved and in recent studies found traces of toxic chemicals in the e-cigarettes.  Lots of additional study is needed, but in the meantime, we're not waiting.  At WMHS, we do not permit smoking of any kind, including e-cigarettes and we are changing our signage to reflect a prohibition of smoking of any kind on campus along with the use of any form of tobacco.  We obviously need to get as specific as possible so our patients and visiting public are well aware of where we stand.