Smoke-free
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a smoke-free institution – inside and out! We believe it is important to take a stand against the number one preventable cause of disease and premature death. Creating a smoke-free environment is simply the right thing to do.
Our Policy
For the health of our patients, visitors and staff, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a smoke-free institution – inside and out!
As a leading medical center dedicated to health, we believe it is important to take a stand against what we know is the number one preventable cause of disease and premature death. It is also a major cause of disease and death due to ailments related to second-hand smoke. Creating a smoke-free environment is simply the right thing to do.
If you smoke, we recognize that our smoke-free policy is a challenge, whether you are here for an hour, a day or a week. Talk with your nurse or physician about ways to manage the challenge here and at home. We offer a number of resources, including physician-prescribed nicotine replacement therapies and information on smoking cessation programs.
If you smoke, does this mean you cannot come to BIDMC, or you must first quit?
Absolutely not; you are always welcome here!
It simply means that we do not provide designated smoking areas anywhere inside or outside of the medical center. If you wish to smoke, do so outside the BIDMC grounds.
Help and Resources for Quitting
For smokers, not smoking for any period of time is difficult. Once you've managed to be smoke-free at BIDMC, why not keep up the good work? We can provide the resources and information you need to quit for good. No matter how long you have smoked, you and your family will immediately experience the health benefits of not smoking.
For more information, talk with your nurse or physician, or consider trying BIDMC's own BeWell Smoke Talk, smoking cessation program. To contact BeWell, call 617-667-4695.
In addition, residents of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island can get information and support via the Try To Stop Tobacco Resource Center. Contact them at:
- 1-800-Try to stop (800-879-8678) English;
- 1-800-8-Dejalo (800-833-5256) Español
- TTY: 1-800-TDD-1477 (800-833-1477)
- www.TryToStop.org
Some additional resources available to you include:
American Cancer Society
1-800-ACS-2345 (1-800-227-2345)
www.cancer.org
American Heart Association
1-800-AHA-USA-1 (1-800-242-8721)
www.amhrt.org
American Lung Association
1-800-586-4872
www.lungusa.org (English and Español)
Centers For Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/tobacco
National Cancer Institute
www.smokefree.gov
Quitting smokeless tobacco
www.quitsmokeless.org
Smoking and Children
www.lung.ca/children
Surgeon General
www.surgeongeneral.gov
Quit Tips Line
1-800-943-8284 (24 hours a day/recorded message) Lasts the length of a craving!
