Electronic Cigarettes on Hospital Campuses
1
Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
2
University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
The current affiliation of Isaiah Fischer-Brown is: School of Arts and Sciences, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
Academic Editors: Coral Gartner and Britta Wigginton
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13(1), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13010087
Received: 24 November 2015
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Revised: 18 December 2015
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Accepted: 23 December 2015
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Published: 29 December 2015
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Tobacco Control 2015)
Smoke and tobacco-free policies on hospital campuses have become more prevalent across the U.S. and Europe, de-normalizing smoking and reducing secondhand smoke exposure on hospital grounds. Concerns about the increasing use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and the impact of such use on smoke and tobacco-free policies have arisen, but to date, no systematic data describes e-cigarette policies on hospital campuses. The study surveyed all hospitals in North Carolina (n = 121) to assess what proportion of hospitals have developed e-cigarette policies, how policies have been implemented and communicated, and what motivators and barriers have influenced the development of e-cigarette regulations. Seventy-five hospitals (62%) completed the survey. Over 80% of hospitals reported the existence of a policy regulating the use of e-cigarettes on campus and roughly half of the hospitals without a current e-cigarette policy are likely to develop one within the next year. Most e-cigarette policies have been incorporated into existing tobacco-free policies with few reported barriers, though effective communication of e-cigarette policies is lacking. The majority of hospitals strongly agree that e-cigarette use on campus should be prohibited for staff, patients, and visitors. Widespread incorporation of e-cigarette policies into existing hospital smoke and tobacco-free campus policies is feasible but needs communication to staff, patients, and visitors.
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Keywords:
electronic cigarettes; smoke-free policy; tobacco products
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MDPI and ACS Style
Meernik, C.; Baker, H.M.; Paci, K.; Fischer-Brown, I.; Dunlap, D.; Goldstein, A.O. Electronic Cigarettes on Hospital Campuses. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13, 87. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13010087
AMA Style
Meernik C, Baker HM, Paci K, Fischer-Brown I, Dunlap D, Goldstein AO. Electronic Cigarettes on Hospital Campuses. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2016; 13(1):87. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13010087
Chicago/Turabian StyleMeernik, Clare, Hannah M. Baker, Karina Paci, Isaiah Fischer-Brown, Daniel Dunlap, and Adam O. Goldstein. 2016. "Electronic Cigarettes on Hospital Campuses" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 13, no. 1: 87. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13010087
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