Trivia: When was smoking banned in all US hospitals

[mario_ragucci]

I heard there used to be a time in America when people were given cigarettes by doctors. Didn't some cigarette ads used to say they were "recommended by doctors?" Obviously this was back in the 50's, I guess. So it musta been okay for you to smoke anywhere in a hospital back then in the 50's. I know the words "Surgeon General says smoking is bad for your health" came out in the 70's. But I guess smoking was permitted in hospital break rooms, I'm guessing. Then it must of went state by state, but I think there is some kinda of federal law that says you can't smoke in a hospital now. Or within a certain distance from the door.

I think it was in the late 70's some kind of law came out that said no smoking in hospitals. Anyone know for sure; it's interesting to note perspective.

[zumalong]

When I started as a nurse in 1986- everyone smoked in the hospital. I can remember being a nursing student and sitting in the break room getting report and everyone smoking. I never saw a nurse smoke at her med cart though--yech.

In our hospital somewhere around 1989-1990 they set up smoking lounges on the patient care floors. The patients were still allowed to smoke even in semi pvt rooms (nice for the little COPD patient in the bed next to the smoker). These "lounges" were disgusting. The walls and the ceiling became so yellowed and whenever you walked by it reaked all down the hall.

In about 1993 the smoking in our area moved outside-but still in view of pt care areas. Then it finally moved to the ramp garage several years later. The biggest problem is that (at least on my floor) if you were a smoker you always got to take a break. If you did not smoke you usually didn't. Plus there were several nurses that I worked with that would go into the BR down the hall from the unit and 'sneak' a cigarette.

I sometimes look back on those early years of my career and am amazed we did not kill more patients with all that smoke.

Seeing as that I am a severe asthmatic, I am very GLAD that smoking is not allowed in the hospitals anymore.