DALLAS - While other North Texas hospitals have led the way by banning smoking on their properties, Dallas County's Parkland Memorial Hospital still allows smoking.

While Parkland spends millions of taxpayer dollars a year treating diseases caused by smoking, they also have a pavilion right on hospital property that hosts smoking.

"It's nice to have a little spot to come around here and smoke, where you won't dump all your ashes out there on the ground and start a fire and stuff like that," said Raymond Miller, a Parkland visitor.

Parkland, which is supported by Dallas County taxpayers, can't break out exact amounts spent on treating heart disease and lung cancer, which are often the result of smoking. The hospital banned smoking in the building years ago, but still allows smoking just outside the doors.

"We don't want to accommodate bad habits, but we also didn't think that we could enforce the law as well as others think that they can on their campus," said Dr. Ron Anderson, Parkland's CEO.

Anderson said Parkland hasn't ended smoking out of the fear it could lead to a loss of Medicare dollars. If Parkland told federal regulators that smoking was banned and it wasn't enforced on Parkland's campus, Children's Medical Center Dallas and UT Southwestern Medical School, then the government could cite Parkland for not meeting standards.

So, Parkland set the bar low. At some points, even patients can be seen in the pavilion lighting up.

"If you're sick, you shouldn't really be smoking anyway," said Tracie Bechett, a Parkland patient.

As for her own smoking, she said, "It's a habit. It's a hard habit to break."

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While parkland still allows smoking, other North Texas hospitals banned it completely from their facilities and campuses.

Baylor Health Care System stopped smoking at all 14 campuses one year ago.

Texas Health Resource Hospitals, which includes Presbyterian Dallas, Harris Methodist in Fort Worth and Arlington Memorial, stopped smoking in November.

The Methodist Health System, which includes Methodist Dallas and Charlton Hospitals, will end it March 1.

John Peter Smith, Tarrant County's public hospital, still permits smoking on campus at designated spots.

Parkland said it's studying a smoking ban and how it would be coordinated with UT Southwestern and Children's. However, it could be expensive for smoking cessation clinics, patients and staff.

"But I would like to implement it in such a way that our employees have a chance to have their addiction treated and our patients have a chance to have their addiction treated so that we just don't do this cold turkey," Anderson said.

But some employees said where there is a will, there is a way.

"I take my lunch break and go sit in my car and smoke," said David Wilson, a Parkland employee. "You know, if I really want to smoke that bad."

Anderson said he hopes to ask the Parkland board later this year to end smoking.

"There's nothing good about it," he said. "Period. End of story."

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