Albemarle Health Facilities to Go Smoke-Free Next Year

By Lauren King, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.

Mar. 29–ELIZABETH CITY — Albemarle health facilities will go smoke-free next year.

Earlier this month, College of the Albemarle and Albemarle Family YMCA banned smoking from their properties. Smoking is even banned inside personal cars in the parking lots.

Albemarle Health’s new smoke-free policy was approved in February by the Hospital Authority Board of Commissioners and will go into effect January 1, 2008, according to a news release from the hospital.

The new policy will be in effect at all of its facilities, including the hospital in Elizabeth City, Island Regional Medical Center in Manteo and Gates County Medical Center.

Employees and volunteers who need help quitting will be offered help and physicians will provide hospital patients with non-tobacco alternatives during their hospital stay.

— Reach Lauren King at (252) 338-2413 or lauren.king@pilotonline.com.

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, Va.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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