Winchester District Memorial Hospital will be completely smoke-free starting January 1st.
In a release, the hospital says people will no longer be allowed to smoke anywhere on the property. That includes vehicles in parking lots.
WDMH CEO Cholly Boland says the hospital is committed to building healthier communities and to fostering a safe, healthy workplace.
The release states that all Ontario hospitals will have to comply with the Smoke-Free Ontario act and the Electronic Cigarettes Act which ban smoking on all hospital properties. That applies to smoking of tobacco, medical marijuana and e-cigarettes.
WDMH is providing support to patients and staff that wish to quit smoking and programs are also available through family physicians and the health unit.
The release says, the local public health unit is responsible for enforcing the new law. Individuals can be fined up to $1,000 for a first offence. The hospital can also be fined up to $100,000.
