The Arizona State Hospital today became a Smoke Free environment, a historic move designed to benefit patients, staff and visitors.

New signs announce that smoking is no longer permitted on the grounds of the state's only publicly owned and operated psychiatric hospital, located at 24th and Van Buren streets in Phoenix.

"While approximately 23 percent of the general population smokes, the prevalence is three times higher in persons with other addictions or mental illness," said John Cooper, Arizona State Hospital CEO. "The heavy rate of smoking in our patient populations puts them at higher risk of developing medical consequences from long-term tobacco use, such as emphysema, heart disease and cancer."

Besides reducing health care costs for patients, the new Smoke Free policy is expected to have other benefits. Other states with bans in their psychiatric hospitals have observed decreased aggression and assaults, a reduction in the use of restraints and psychiatric medications, improved patient supervision, suppression of the black market in cigarettes, and better participation in therapy sessions.

The state hospital, working with the Department of Health Service's Bureau of Tobacco Education and Prevention, is providing evidence-based tobacco dependence treatment programs to help staff and patients kick the habit. The hospital also has made treating nicotine addiction an integral component of clinical assessment, treatment planning and clinical interventions.

Today's announcement follows months of work by the hospital's Tobacco Free workgroup to meet with staff, patients and other parties to develop and implement the Smoke Free policy.