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Smokers needing to take a puff while at Shands Health care facilities will no longer be able to come Sunday. Starting November 1st, the use of tobacco products will be prohibited on all Health Science Center, Shands Health care, and UF Physicians buildings and parking lots.
Shands Hospital at UF employee Schran Wilson is a smoker and says she is not looking forward to the new restriction.The new rule bans smoking in designated outdoor smoking areas and properties surrounding Shands' facilities throughout North Central Florida. Construction worker Sean Merill smokes but thinks the ban is not a bad idea.
The initiative is to promote a safer, tobacco free facility for patients, visitors, and workers alike. Shands employee Lynette Hildebrandt says she wants to see the change.
Some 70 hospitals are already tobacco free in the state of Florida. Shands health care spokesperson Kim Rose says the new restrictions shouldn't force people to change their habits. But Wilson disagrees and says the changes are unfair and will be difficult to deal with.
In a related story, U-F plans to prohibit tobacco use on its entire campus starting in July of next year.