The Joint Commission doesn't ban smoking
Smoking bans in hospitals have been a hot trend this year.
The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) has never required hospitals to outright prohibit smoking. While there is a clear expectation that a hospital manages smoking from a life safety and patient health standpoint, there are still instances in which patients can be allowed to smoke within the confines of the building (so long as the smoking area is environmentally separate, properly safe, meets relevant standards, etc.).
Certainly The Joint Commission doesn't expect employees and visitors to be allowed to smoke inside the building (and I've seen some very interesting definitions of what constitutes "outside" and "inside").
That said, smoking bans have generally been promulgated at the state or municipal level, in which case The Joint Commission would expect an organization to comply with applicable rules and regulations, etc.
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