Two Buffalo institutions go smoke free

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Two major Buffalo institutions are clearing the air.

Smokers or not, we've all had to walk through that wall of smoke outside of a building at work or school where smokers gather because it's illegal to smoke indoors.

Now the University at Buffalo and Sisters of Charity Hospital are phasing out those smoke screens.

Sisters Hospital Chief Executive Officer Peter Bergmann said, "As a healthcare provider, it's our responsibility to provide a safe and healthy environment for those who work, visit and receive care at our hospital and outpatient facilities."

Doctor David Dunn (Vice President for Health Sciences) said, "We are going 100% smoke free but we want to help out students staff and faculty who do use tobacco products, and in fact who may be addicted to them, to cease smoking."

Both UB and Sister's Hospital will be offering smoking cessation classes and other quitting tools like free nicotine patches and gum.

And they say there's no better time to quit than the Great American Smokeout.

Doctor Michael Cummings (Roswell Park Cancer Institute) said, "We know here in Erie County there'll be 2,000 people who die prematurely this year from smoking but everyone of those 2,000 people there's a family behind them and that's the tragedy."

Some are excited about the change.

Masters student Brittany Dileo said, "I just think it goes in line with what New York State has been doing all along with eliminating smoking in public buildings and so it's just another step forward towards that."

Others have concerns about the plans.

UB employee Amy Jesionowski said, "At night it could be very unsafe for people who are working at night that have to walk across campus and get off of campus because there has been a lot of crime in the area, so I think they should reconsider that."

Sister's Hospital goes smoke free next February and UB starts next fall.

But there are no penalties in place if some is caught smoking on campus.