South Central Regional Medical Center to Implement Tobacco
Free Campus Policy

South Central Regional Medical Center is going tobacco-free on April 1, 2008. As of that date, no tobacco use of any kind will be permitted— inside or outside—on hospital property. This initiative also will include the elimination of designated areas outside of South Central Regional Medical Center where employees, patients and visitors currently use tobacco products.

Doug Higginbotham, Executive Director at South Central says, “We have joined more than 30 hospitals across Mississippi in an effort to become tobacco-free. As a health care organization, we are committed to the health and safety of our employees and patients. We believe that we have a responsibility to take a leadership role on this major health issue, and allowing people to use tobacco products defeats this purpose.”

South Central’s Medical Staff Executive Committee made a recommendation Monday, August 27 that the South Central Health System join numerous other health systems across the state of Mississippi in a tobacco free initiative. The recommendation was taken to the South Central Board of Trustees Tuesday, August 28 for board consideration and the recommendation was approved.

Tobacco is the cause of death for 4,700 Mississippians every year and is the root cause of many illnesses and lost productivity. Tobacco use in and around hospitals poses health and safety risks for patients, employees, and visitors.

Higginbotham continued by saying that South Central Regional Medical Center’s decision to go tobacco-free is not an attempt to “force” anyone to quit using tobacco products. Rather, the tobacco-free initiative is a concrete way we can demonstrate our ongoing commitment to healthy living. “We appreciate the support of the community as we move toward our April 1 tobacco-free date,” he says.