Vets complaining about new smoking policy at veterans home

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — Some veterans are complaining about a new, more restrictive policy regarding smoking at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has required the Iowa home to implement VA policy limiting where residents can smoke. The VA provides a substantial amount of the funding to the Iowa facility for facility construction and maintenance, resident care and other activities.

The hospital commandant, Timon Oujiri, says the policy is aimed at ensuring the safety of residents who smoke as well as the safety of staffers and other residents.

State Rep. Mark Smith is a longtime volunteer at the hospital, and he says he’s received several calls from World War II and Vietnam War veterans who do not agree with the new policy.