---
title: O.C.G.A. § 31-7-23. Surgical smoke.
collection: code
id: 31-7-23
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 31-7-23 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-7-23
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-7-23.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-7-23/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t31-(v23)-2025-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=da7ded69_0#page=337
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-7.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-7-22.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/code/31-7-23.1.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Session of the General Assembly of Georgia
heading_path: HEALTH / REGULATION AND CONSTRUCTION OF HOSPITALS AND OTHER HEALTH CARE FACILITIES / REGULATION OF HOSPITALS AND RELATED INSTITUTIONS
extraction_warnings:
  - dehyphenation_unverified:heat-producing
---

# O.C.G.A. § 31-7-23. Surgical smoke.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term “surgical smoke” means the gaseous by-product produced from the interaction of tools or heatproducing equipment used for dissection and hemostasis during surgical or invasive procedures.

(b) Each hospital and ambulatory surgical center shall adopt policies for the reduction of human exposure to surgical smoke.

## History

Code 1981, § 31-7-23, enacted by Ga. L. 2022, p. 673, § 1/SB 573.

## Editor's Notes

Former Code Section 31-7-23, which was repealed by Ga. L. 2008, p. 224, § 2/SB 130, effective July 1, 2008, was part of former Article 2 of this chapter, relating to the Georgia Building Authority (Hospital), and was based on Ga. L. 1939, p. 144, § 4; Ga. L. 1953, p. 357, § 1; Ga. L. 1993, p. 1402, § 18.