OMAHA, Nebraska - The Department of Veterans Affairs is now smoke-free. The policy that went into effect October 1st now restricts smoking by patients, visitors, volunteers, contractors and vendors. The designated smoking areas are now gone.
The V-A announced plans they would go smoke-free in June. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs issued a release that states this is due to a growing safety risk of second and third-hand smoke that the hospital wants to avoid.
The ban applies to cigarettes, pipes, e-cigarettes, vape pens and e-cigars.
More than 4,000 of V-A facilities were already smoke free prior to the policy change that impacts the rest of their facilities.