For the health and comfort of patients, visitors, students, faculty and employees, Rush University Medical Center will become a tobacco-free campus on November 20, the national celebration of the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout.

Smoking (and chewing tobacco) will be prohibited in all indoor and outdoor areas throughout the campus. With smoking and breathing secondhand smoke being the leading causes of many illnesses, Rush has an obligation to create a healthy environment for our entire community.

While all Rush buildings have been tobacco free since 1994, the medical center is becoming a tobacco-free campus outdoors as well to protect everyone on the campus from the negative effects of secondhand smoke. The entire campus--including parking lots and adjacent sidewalks--will become tobacco free.

"Rush is a place of healing and we want to be true to that mission indoors and out," says Dr. James Mulshine, vice president of research at Rush and member of the tobacco-free committee. "Part of our goal with this effort has been to help employees quit smoking so they can lead healthier, longer lives."

To celebrate Rush's commitment to go "smoke-free," a week of events will be held for employees. On November 20, Rush will have a "Welcome to our Smoke Free Campus" celebration where members of the Rush senior leadership team will be distributing chewing gum and candy to employees, students, patients and visitors from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. as they exit or enter the medical center. The chewing gum for this event was been generously donated to Rush by Wrigley.

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