As a matter of historical record, the early international support of Mr. Tom Hurst for 100% Non-Smoking inside hospitals as a new international realistic health based goal was initially expressed directly to me in 1983 at the World Conference on Smoking and Health Winnipeg, Canada. This Overseas supportive encouragement was an important key factor in immediately propelling me and colleagues forward in the USA. It helped me and other United States Public Health Service Officers of the “American Indian Health Service” to quickly join with our American Indian Tribal groups whom we served as Health Care Providers to immediately implement the world’s first totally Smoke-Free Hospital, without loopholes or exceptions, in December 1983. The first location was on an American Indian Reservation serving both Hopi and Navajo Indians at Keams Canyon, Arizona, USA.
The Smoke-Free Hospital movement quickly spread throughout the USA, thanks to the very influential endorsement by 13th U.S. Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop with his no-nonsense commitment to support 100% Smoke-Free Hospitals and going beyond that, he launched his widely publicized public America wide Smoke-Free Society Challenge issued in June 1984 at both the National American Lung Association Conference in Florida and our National U.S Public Health Service USPHS National Symposium held in Arizona.
The “International Network Towards Smokefree Hospitals” (INTSH) founded by Mr. Tom Hurst was a great additional help in propelling the Smoke-Free Hospital movement Internationally around the world. An early key supporter of the movement and INTSH member with important international credibility was multi-lingual Dr. Roberto Masironi of WHO. He and others influenced by WHO and his great leadership were a big help in the ongoing international spread of the Smoke-Free Hospital Movement. His service as language interpreter/translator for me and others at several world conferences was vital and much appreciated for our collaborative multi-nation conference communication.
