Two La Crosse hospitals are taking their smoking ban outdoors.

Franciscan Skemp and Gundersen Lutheran are making their entire properties smoke-free in this new year.

Employees, patients and visitors will no longer be able to step outside to smoke.

The buildings at the hospitals have been smoke free since the early 1990s.
Gundersen Lutheran spokesman Jim Engh says the new policy has encouraged some people to quit smoking. Both hospitals are offering programs to help smokers kick the habit.

In addition to the hospitals, Western Technical College is also smoke free starting this year. Viterbo has a campus-wide smoking ban, but has a few designated areas for lighting up.

UW La Crosse, the city of La Cross and La Crosse County are all considering smoke free campuses. Eau Claire medical facilities including clinics banned smoking from their campuses earlier in 2005.