St. Mary’s Adds “Vapes” To Tobacco-Free Policy

By MJ Kneiser, WLHR Radio, Lavonia

If you regularly use e-cigarettes or any sort of vape nicotine delivery system, you will no longer be able to use them inside a St. Mary’s Healthcare facility.

On Monday, St. Mary’s officials announced they are adding electronic nicotine delivery systems, or ENDS, to their tobacco-free policy.

Spokesperson Mark Ralston said studies show e-vape systems are just as dangerous as smoking regular cigarettes, if not more so.

“We are adding ENDS to our tobacco-free policy because the solutions that are in those chemicals are known to be dangerous,” he said. “They contain chemicals such as anti-freeze, and other things that are known to cause cancer. They also really are not helping people to quit smoking, which is why many people use them to start with. So to help our patients, staff, and visitors stay safe and have clean air, we are eliminating them from our campuses.”

Ralston said the “no-vape/e-cigarette” policy also applies to all buildings and grounds owned or leased by St. Mary’s, as well as its hospitals in Athens, Lavonia and Greensboro, the Highland Hills Village retirement community, St. Mary’s Hospice House, their outpatient and wound care centers, and all physician practices.

ENDS devices are often marketed as a “safer” alternative to smoking, a way to quit smoking cigarettes, and a way to smoke in places where cigarette smoking is not allowed.

But Ralston said research shows the vaper can still cause cancer.

“Our understanding is that research is showing that the nicotine and the chemicals are still getting into the lungs. It’s still getting into the air sacs in your lungs and it causes damage there,” he said.