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TRENTON – Senator Joseph F. Vitale today applauded officials at Greystone Park and Ancora psychiatric hospitals for being the first in the State to implement smoke-free policies under a law sponsored by the Senator and signed by the Governor last year.

“By their nature, psychiatric hospitals exist to promote health and wellness of the mind, body and soul,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, and Chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “Looking the other way while patients and employees light up seems contrary to the very mission of these facilities. I’m glad Greystone and Ancora are becoming the first smoke-free psychiatric hospitals in New Jersey, and I hope other facilities follow their lead.”

TRENTON – Senator Joseph Vitale, the sponsor of legislation allowing State psychiatric hospitals to ban smoking, today applauded the membership of the NJ Tobacco-Free Hospital Campus Collaborative for its collective commitment to banning smoking anywhere on the campuses of their health facilities. The group held a news conference this morning in the State House Annex, to update the public on its progress.

“Nicotine is one of the most addictive and most harmful toxins,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, who chairs the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “By their very nature, medical facilities are designed to protect the health of patients and the surrounding communities, and it is an unhealthy conflict to allow patients, visitors and employees to engage in such an unhealthy activity on hospital grounds. Our medical facilities and personnel must set a positive example.”

TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senator Joseph F. Vitale, which would allow State psychiatric hospitals to ban on-campus smoking, as long as a smoking cessation program is offered for clients, patient and employees was approved today by the full Senate by a vote of 25-11.

“This bill would do for residents at psychiatric hospitals what they and others around the world might not be able to do for themselves – stop smoking,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex, who chairs the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee. “Statistics have shown that the impact of cigarettes and nicotine at psychiatric facilities is higher for a number of reasons, including deeper inhalation, and the increased negative effect that nicotine can have when combined with psychotropic drugs.”