Tobacco Documents Online

Hosp Smoking Policies

Abstract

This 1991 Tobacco Institute memo reveals the industry plotting to undermine a rule to make all U.S. hospitals smoke-free. The rule was to be enacted by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation for Hospitals' (JCAHO). (Hospitals in the U.S. must be JCAHO-accredited in order to receive payments from the government for care of citizens covered under national health care programs like Medicare and Medicaid.) The rule was going to require hospitals to become completely smoke-free as a prerequisite to receiving--or keeping--their coveted accreditation. The memo states, surprisingly, that "Our office has had a number of inquiries from nurses and doctors seeking assistance to prevent this ban." The memo also indicates that a tobacco industry ally performed surveillance on the Joint Commission, saying "One of our local tobacco distributors...is a member of the local Joint Hospital Board. He has furnished us with some information from the JCAHO's Public Relations Division..."

The writer, Ron Morris of the Tobacco Institute pointed out that "a number of state laws prohibit banning of smoking in hospitals." He then suggests, "If you are able to use [this information] in a discreet manner, we may be able to undermine the anti-tobacco movement in hospitals, at least as an accreditation effort."

Fields

Notes

You can see the list of state laws that was attached to this memo at http://tobaccodocuments.org/landman/TIMS0020162-0167.html

Quotes

MEMORANDUM TO: Paul Jacobson FROM: Ron Morris DATE: July 10, 1991 RE: Hospital Smoking Policies

As you know, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations has declared all hospitals will be smoke free by January, 1992. Our office has had a number of inquires from nurses and doctors seeking assistance to prevent this ban. One of our local tobacco distributors, Stu Grossman, is a member of the local Joint Hospital Board. He has furnished us with some information from the JCAHO's Public Relations Division. Diana Avedon has also furnished us with an update of state laws regarding smoking in hospitals. Both pieces of information are attached. It seems to us that if an accreditation policy is to be valued they must be universally and uniformly applied. As you can see from Diana's work a number of state laws prohibit banning of smoking in hospitals. Therefore, JCAHO is requiring some hospitals to break state law in order to receive accreditation for Medicare/Medicaid payments. If you are able to use the information Diana has furnished us in a discreet manner we may be able to undermine the anti-tobacco movement in hospitals at least as an accreditation effort.

R.C.M. RCM/sfd Attachments cc: George Minshew

Company

Tobacco Institute

Author

Morris, Ronald C. (Tobacco Institute Vice President)

TI Vice President

Recipient

Jacobson, Paul (TI State Activities Division, c. 1987-88)

Region

United States

Litigation

Mississippi AG

Named Organization

Joint Commission on Accreditation for Hospitals (JCAHO)

They review and accredit hospitals and all patient environments for the compliance with the standards that they set.

Type

MEMO

Subject

industry response

industry strategy

industry surveillance (Intelligence-gathering on public health forces)

smoking restriction

Countermeasures

Strategies & tactics the industry used to counter public health efforts to control tobacco