LEWISTON – The no-smoking boundaries are getting pushed back at area hospitals.

Effective today, Central Maine Medical Center does not allow smoking anywhere on its property. The date marks the American Cancer Society’s 28th Annual Great American Smokeout, and countdown banners and signs at CMMC have heralded the new rules for several days.

Sharron Sieleman, CMMC’s vice president of nursing and chairman of the hospital’s Tobacco-Free Task Force, and Dr. Evan Ramser, pulmonologist with CMMC’s Pulmonary and Critical Care Associates, explained some of the complications that must be addressed.

“It’s not as easy as it sounds,” Sieleman said, pointing out that consideration must be given to staff and patient rights. “But we couldn’t let every hurdle stop us. We’re going to tackle those issues as they arise,” she said.

“Smoking doesn’t promote healing,” she added. “We’re asking everyone not to smoke anywhere on hospital property, and we need to offer some support for that. Such support would include nicotine replacement therapies to patients upon admission.

Dr. Ramser said, “The biggest problem is that smoking is still socially acceptable.”

Pointing to legislation that took smoking out of restaurants and bars, he said, “We’ve all seen the political pressure that can be put on places. Between 20 and 25 percent of people still smoke.

Fifteen to 20 years ago, smoking was still allowed indoors, and that included patients being allowed to smoke in bed, Sieleman recalled. And there were situations in which smokers and non-smokers might wind up in the same room.

Sieleman said any current employee can go off the property on their breaks if they want to smoke. A designated outdoor area on the property has been discontinued.

“Our campus has grown. It’s spread out and there are multiple buildings,” she said. “Now we’ll just ask everyone to go to a public area.”

Sieleman said new signs will be placed informing visitors of the new rules, and receptacles for cigarette butts will be placed on property boundaries and away from entrances.

Both Sieleman and Ramser said employees have supported the effort.

St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston has three designated smoking areas on campus. Kathy Smith, educator for the hospital’s prevention and wellness department, said those locations are away from high-traffic areas.

Jill Gray, community relations manager at Franklin Memorial Hospital, Farmington, said the hospital has not allowed smoking anywhere on its campus for several years. The prohibition also applies to several nearby buildings of the Franklin Community Health Network.

Last November, hospitals in Norway and Rumford took the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout event as an opportunity to go completely smoke-free.

Allison M. Cyr, spokesperson for development and community relations at Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway, said, “Since opening our new Emergency Room and hospital expansion project in November of 2003, we declared the campus of Stephens and all other facility-owned buildings to be smoke-free.”

Jane Bubar, Rumford Community Hospital’s director of community relations, said that facility also did away with a designated smoking area and went smoke-free last November.

The American Cancer Society’s 2004 Great American Smokeout challenges smokers to go without smoking at least for today, and to consider giving up for good.