By CASEY COOPER
You may remember a couple of months ago the EBCI Tribal Council passed an ordinance prohibiting smoking on any part of the Cherokee Indian Hospital Campus. I wanted to remind the public of this ordinance and to ask for your help in keeping our hospital campus smoke free.
This ordinance is an important step in helping positively affect our community’s health. But, we can’t take this tremendous step without you. Please remember that smoking is not allowed anywhere and there are no cigarette butt cans at our new facility. We want keep our new facility clean, but we need you as our partner in this.
Smoking is a personal decision which can also have a serious effect on others. Recently, a patient entered our facility, passed through several smokers and was overcome with an asthma attack. This created a critical situation for someone who had no choice in the smoking issue. Our community deserves a health care facility which is free from hazards to their health.
Soon, the consequences of smoking on our campus will be enforced with legal action. Please don’t be the first tribal member to receive a citation for violating a tribal ordinance which prohibits smoking on our campus. If you currently smoke and would like to stop, we can help. Please ask your health care provider for information and we will join you in this journey to a smoke free life.
We look forward to seeing you when we open in our new facility on Nov. 16! You are also invited to join us for The Great American Smoke Out on Nov. 19! We are here to serve you and your family and we take that responsibility seriously.
Cooper is the chief executive officer of the Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority.
