We are a month into the Tobacco Free Campus Initiative at DMH and the air isn't the only thing that is clearer. Clients and staff are finding that there are other things to do with the time that used to be used for smoke breaks. There's a focus on what the new replacement activities for smoking will be, both in terms of what clients do during the fresh air breaks that are still offered and in terms of what clients can do with the extra money not spent on tobacco products.
 
Many clients are now learning other ways to communicate and interact with each other now that smoking is no longer the default bonding activity. A peer support specialist at Taunton State Hospital said, "Since patients stopped smoking, when I go outdoors the smoke doesn't trigger my asthma."  Generally, there is acknowledgement that there has been a culture shift for the clients and how they spend their time.
 
Worcester State Hospital held a well attended activity fair last month to showcase healthy activities and ways to support smoking cessation. The Transitions IRTP clients and staff joined WSH for the activity which included a yoga demonstration, playing with a Wii Fit system, a computerized health quiz and demonstrations of coping activities including sensory tools and mindfulness.  The activity also included healthy snacks and an impromptu carol sing-a-long.
 
Serving as an academic partner to the DMH Tobacco Free Campus Initiative, Dr. Douglas Ziedonis and his team from the UMass Medical School Department of Psychiatry presented two full-day trainings for DMH and provider staff in October. The trainings were followed by a series of weekly teleconferences hosted by Dr. Ziedonis designed to reinforce the material presented and to provide a forum for questions and answers as the initiative moved forward.
 
Staff and Smoking Champions have been reminding clients and other staff about our smoke-free campuses and that any smoking must occur off the property. New signage has been posted about the smoke-free status of the building and grounds. Staff are educating clients about the impact of second hand smoke on staff and each other. Six staff at Tewksbury Hospital who were non-smokers were found to have measurable levels of carbon monoxide in their blood during the Great American Smokeout.  
 
Staff at Central Office and other facilities have noted that winter may in fact be the best time to have implemented this policy as having to go off the property in the cold weather has made some think twice before heading outside. One staff member commented that he now smokes half the cigarettes that he used to during the work day.
 
At Westborough State Hospital implementation continues to go well. Other campus tenants, including the Department of Youth Services, Department of Developmental Services and Department of Public Safety have also been tobacco free since December 7which has made for a unified transition.
 
Tewksbury State Hospital reports that a number of patients who had smoked for more than 20 years have commented they are happy about the change. One patient said, "I knew I could not do it on my own but because I had no choice I am now a nonsmoker and plan to keep it that way."
 
The culture change to a smoke-free environment is moving forward. We continue to work on fine tuning and maintaining this effort every day. More information and resources can be found on the new Tobacco Free Campus Initiative page on the DMH website.