Kaiser Permanente bans smoking at all its Hawaii sites

Kaiser Permanente has banned smoking at all its Hawaii clinics and administrative facilities statewide. The nonprofit healthcare provider announced the new policy in mid November as part of the national Great American Smokeout. It applies to employees, members and visitors on any Kaiser Permanente property.

"Kaiser Permanente stands for prevention and we are committed to providing a safe, healthy environment at all of our facilities statewide," Winona White, Kaiser Permanente vice president for human resources, said in a news release. The Moanalua Medical Center campus has been smoke-free since January 2006.

The health maintenance provider offers help to stop smoking for both nonmembers and members at kp.org/quitsmoking or www.kp.org/healthylifestyles and provides specialists to provide individualized care on a Telephone Quit Line: (808) 432-8000 on Oahu or (877) 432-8970 on the Big Island and Maui.