Smoke Free Premise Support
We are a smoke-free environment.
Overview
As a health care provider, PHC has an obligation to promote good health practices and to protect everyone from the toxic effects of second hand smoke. We are committed to ensuring a safe, healthy and clean environment for our patients, residents, staff, physicians, researchers, volunteers, visitors and the general public.
Since May 31,2008, smoking is no longer permitted in or on all PHC owned and operated property, including all buildings, grounds and parking lots. The same policy also went into effect for all Vancouver Coastal Health and other health authority sites.
As part of PHC’s smoke-free policy, inpatients will be offered a variety of clinical supports and will have access to smoking cessation products – nicotine patch, gum, inhaler, and prescription drugs – at no cost while under PHC care.
Both PHC and City of Vancouver smoke-free regulations build on the provincial government’s Tobacco Control Act, which came into effect on March 31, 2008. The Tobacco Control Act mandates smoke-free health authorities and allows cities and municipalities to have local regulations that are more stringent than provincial regulations.
PHC employees who want to quit smoking can also access nicotine replacement therapy as a staff benefit.