Most health care facilities have become smoke free in the past decade. Montgomery Meadows has not; however, during our meetings with staff and residents, there was a consistent request to have Montgomery Meadows become a smoke free facility.

There is one exception to the smoke free environment: there should be a designated resident smoking lounge with a good exhaust system to insure that no smoke enters the return air ducts or into other spaces of the building.

All visitors would be required to extinguish all smoking materials prior to entering the building.

There is an existing problem with the present staff smoking lounge and break rooms. The smoke from these areas drifts into the non-smoking lounge and the adjacent hallways.

The suggestion is to have one new staff break room on the main floor that is non-smoking, and to have an exterior "smoking-shed" or other protected area to insure that smoke does not travel back into the facility.

Based upon the physical size of the facility and the planned additions, it would most likely be necessary to establish a few other exterior smoking areas for staff use. The other smoking areas would not have to be covered, but they should be away from the main entrance to the facility.

Depending upon the size and other amenities, a smoking shed could cost in excess of $10,000.00.