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For Immediate Release
March 12, 2025
RALEIGH, N.C. – Nurses, surgeons, other healthcare professionals, and patients are routinely forced to breath carcinogenic fumes during surgeries in North Carolina. H390 Alleviate the Dangers of Surgical Smoke, which was filed today, would serve as an important safety measure addressing this oversight.
The North Carolina Nurses Association is grateful to NCNA member Rep. Carla Cunningham, D-Mecklenburg, for filing this important legislation and strongly endorses H390. Similar legislation passed the House 110-2 last session, thanks to the leadership of NCNA member Rep. Donna White, R-Johnston.1 Rep. White, Rep. Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke, and Rep. Tim Reeder, R-Pitt, have joined Rep. Cunningham as primary sponsors of H390.
“Surgical instruments produce a toxic smoke. We have healthcare teams trying to provide quality care who are being put at risk by breathing in the equivalent of more than 25 cigarettes per day2,” said NCNA President Trish Richardson, MSN, BSBA, RN, NE-BC, CMSRN. “North Carolina outlawed smoking cigarettes in hospitals more than 15 years ago. H390 is a commonsense measure to offer similar protections to nurses and everyone else spending significant time in operating rooms.”
North Carolina’s entire healthcare system is facing massive workforce pressures, with shortages of nurses that pre-date the coronavirus pandemic. NCNA believes the state needs to do everything possible to increase safety for the nursing workplace, not just because nurses deserve to work in safe conditions, but for simple recruitment and retention purposes, as well.
Many hospitals have already taken measures to safely and cost effectively evacuate surgical smoke, but there is no statewide policy to ensure these types of implementations. Alleviate the Dangers of Surgical Smoke would encourage all surgical centers to use best practices to remove surgical smoke and prevent unnecessary health problems among those working in operating rooms.
NCNA expects the House to quickly pass H390 again and encourages the Senate to pass it with near-unanimous support, as well.
1 https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookup/2023/H650
2 Hill DS, O’Neill JK, Powell RJ, Oliver DW. Surgical smoke - a health hazard in the operating theatre: a study to quantify exposure and a survey of the use of smoke extractor systems in UK plastic surgery units. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2012;65(7):911-916.
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Chris Cowperthwaite, APR
Director of Communications & Outreach
(919) 821-4250 or chriscowperthwaite@ncnurses.org
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The North Carolina Nurses Association serves the changing needs of its members, addresses nursing issues, and advocates for the health and well-being of all people.