All Bowen Center campuses will go tobacco free starting Thursday.
That means clients, staff and visitors will no longer be allowed to use tobacco products at Bowen Center's campuses.
Bowen Center has campuses in Warsaw, Columbia City, Albion, Fort Wayne, Huntington, Wabash, Plymouth and Syracuse.Bowen Center provides mental health services to citizens in northeast Indiana including Allen, Huntington, Kosciusko, Wabash, Marshall and Whitley counties.
Kelly Hurt, Otis R. Bowen Center for Human Services Inc. human resources director, said she was approached by Bowen Center CEO Kurt Carlson a year ago about considering Bowen Center's facilities going tobacco free.
She said the idea came after Kosciusko Community Hospital went tobacco free last November.
"We wanted to focus on providing a healthier environment for staff, clients and visitors," Hurst said.
She said there have been designated tobacco areas at the facilities in the past.
Hunt said staff and current clients have been notified the Bowen Center locations will be tobacco free effective Thursday.
She said there are banners in all of the facilities' parking lots, making people aware the tobacco ban will begin Thursday.
She said after Thursday, when the tobacco ban goes into effect, there will be signs posted on the facilities' doors informing visitors, clients and staff that tobacco is not allowed at the facilities.
"We want to show staff and our clients that we care about their health," Hunt said.
"We're in the business of providing treatment for substance abuse and want to direct our clients toward cessation of tobacco products," she said.
Hunt said some staff and clients said they will use Thursday as a date when they plan to quit smoking.
