Dear Colleagues,
As you know, University Health Network is a smoke-free environment. This means that there's no smoking allowed in our buildings or within a nine meter radius of our entrances and exits. You will notice signs outside of our doors with the words "No Smoking" to let everyone know how far from the door you must be before smoking.
The City of Toronto enforces the Ontario Smoke Free Act by issuing fines to individuals who smoke too close to the building. If UHN does not enforce the Act, the hospital can also be fined and the penalty is large. For this reason, I've asked Security to help us by reminding individuals about the no smoking zones.
As a hospital, we see the myriad illnesses and chronic conditions caused by smoking. As an employer, we would like to assist people with smoking cessation if that is what they want. As a former smoker, I know how difficult it is to stop smoking. However, I also frequently hear from employees who worry about the impact of second hand smoke while entering and leaving our buildings. Speaking as a healthcare worker who has treated patients with conditions that were either caused by smoking or made worse by smoking, I have no difficulty in stating that all UHN staff need to comply with our policy and the Ontario Smoke Free Act.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Bob
