MCG Becomes Tobacco Free

On November 15, 2007, the 31st anniversary of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout, the Medical College of Georgia, MCG Health Inc., and MCG Physician Practice Group (dba MCG Medical Associates) will become tobacco free.

The use of tobacco products of any kind will be prohibited on all MCG properties, including academic, research and clinical buildings, parking lots and green spaces on the main campus and at satellite facilities such as our West Augusta practice site and the School of Nursing facilities in Athens. The new policy will apply to employees, students, patients and visitors.

Implementing this initiative was not an impulsive decision. A task force of more than 40 representatives from the university, hospital and clinics have worked for nearly a year to lay out a plan for a smooth transition to a tobacco-free environment. Internal audiences and hospital patients and visitors were surveyed, similar organizations that have implemented tobacco-free policies were asked to share their experiences and plans have been laid to support members of the MCG community faced with the challenges of fighting their addiction.

As Georgia’s only health sciences university and the CSRA’s only academic medical center, our mission is to improve health and reduce the burden of illness in society.  By undertaking this initiative, the MCG organizations join numerous educational and health care facilities across the state and nation in protecting our employees, patients and visitors from exposure to secondhand smoke. This is an important step in fulfilling our role as healthcare leader in Georgia.

We hope you will take advantage of the resources provided by this Web site as well as the healthier environment of the MCG campus.