As of today, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is a tobacco-free health care system. The decision follows the trend of many hospitals nationwide, but Children’s is taking extra steps to provide a healthy environment and lifestyle for patients and staff alike. The tobacco-free initiative encompasses all Children’s-owned facilities and grounds.

“As a premier pediatric health care provider, we are committed to ensuring a healthy environment for our patients, family members, visitors, volunteers and employees,” said James E. Tally, Ph.D., president and CEO of Children’s. “Becoming tobacco-free will improve our environment and is just another way we are making Children’s a healthy place for kids and a healthy place to work.”

For the past six months, Children’s has educated and alerted employees, patients, visitors and others who visit Children’s facilities about the change in policy, effective March 3.

Children’s offers employees assistance with smoking cessation through their health plans and with on-site smoking cessation classes from the American Lung Association. Also to support employees who want to quit using tobacco products, Children’s will reimburse any out-of-pocket expenses up to $300. All employees are eligible to receive reimbursement. Children’s will offer patient families tobacco replacement products in the gift shops, a meditation room and garden for relaxation, as well as many other resources.

“We are committed to not only being a tobacco-free health care system, but to providing the necessary support for employees and patient families during their time here,” said Tally. “While smoking and using tobacco is a personal choice, we are asking everyone to help us keep Children’s tobacco-free and to help us ensure a healthy and healing environment for everyone who visits Children’s.”

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a not-for-profit pediatric healthcare system, operates three hospitals with more than half a million patient visits annually and is ranked as one of the top three children’s hospitals nationwide by Child magazine. To learn more about Children’s, visit www.choa.org or call 404-250-KIDS.

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