A move to making all facilities and properties within Sunrise Health Region smoke-free is going well, said SHR Board Chair Lawrence Chomos.
Chomos made the observation at the regular Board meeting last Wednesday.
Suann Laurent, CEO and president of SHR gave the Board said while there were some concerns raised August through October, she noted there were no "formal written complaints."
And now as staff and patients have had time to settle into the new policy Laurent said they are hearing more thank-yous than concerns, "particularly from patients."
Laurent said while not a hard number, she believes 95 per cent of the time patients and staff are respecting the new policy now and smoking off health region property.
"So it's going well," she said.
Laurent added there was more to the SHR decision than a simple smoking ban. She said it was always part of the plan to help people stop smoking too.
"A lot of people are taking up the cessation program," she said, adding it was always the Board's vision to provide such help when people are ready to quit.
The smoking ban is ultimately about providing healthy policies, said Laurent, adding "it was the right thing to do and we're well under way."
