Nhs 'tobacco Free' Campaign Launched By Public Health England

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39094713

We have the same problems here in Wales. I am currently visiting my brother in the Heath Hospital, where he is in ITU.

Just outside the main entrance, there are some really large signs, saying that smoking is banned on Hospital premises. Not little signs but big ones, about a foot across, in English and Welsh.

But you can hardly see or read these signs, because they are obscured by......smokers standing in front of them, puffing away merrily !

[Islay]

Well why are they not enforcing the ban? Most hospitals have porters or security guards why are they not 'policing' it?
I recently had an operation and was told in the lead up to the operation that if I was a smoker my surgeon would not do the operation as it would me the recovery even harder. I asked if he could refuse and was told by the nurse yes he could despite the fact that I was paying for it!
The hospital had a strict no smoking policy and my hubby said he never saw anyone smoking on the premises during all his coming and going!

[jno]

I've never seen anyone smoking in a hospital. Outside, sure - but why would that be a problem, unless you actually have to walk through smoke to enter the building?

[Old_Geezer]

Sounds rather harsh on addicts to make them go "cold turkey" and cope with their problem/treatment too. Sounds heavy handed and lacking empathy, to me. They should supply a nicotine den away from the building. Or at least free patches to get a fix from.

[mikey4444]

Islay....I have been back and forth to the Hospital for 4 years and rarely seen anybody being taken to task for this smoking. Even my own sister-in-law does it !

[Islay]

Well Mikey the hospital is to blame then, I thought public buildings had a smoking ban so you could not smoke within so many feet of the entrance.

[mikey4444]

Islay...I guess they do but if its any offence at all, it will be a civil offence, not a criminal one.

Come to think of it, I haven't seen any security guards about either.

[mushroom25]

I've been attending the fracture clinic at the local hospital recently. every time I go there are (as Mikey has found) smokers outside the entrance to the main general wards building. a good proportion of those are in pyjamas and slippers, and some were wheeling drip trolleys.

[EDDIE51]

It's exactly the same at my hospital , Addenbrokes Cambridge.
There are loads of signs saying 'This is a non smoking site'
But there are groups of smokers standing under the signs puffing away. It will have no effect unless it is enforced by security actually stopping people from smoking. If that was enacted there would be an outcry about 'My Rights'.

[mikey4444]

Not from me there wouldn't Eddie !

[ToraToraTora]

I cannot abide smoking mikey as you know but even I accept that these addicts need somewhere. I hate it when they all stand around the door way puffing so perhaps they should have smoking shelter away from the doors and enforce it. I have seen the sad devottees barely walking with a drip on wheels puffing away so I can see the imperative.

[mikey4444]

TTT...I am ending to agree with you somewhat here....yes they do need somewhere, but not in front of the signs !

We should stop treating smokers as pariahs and start treating them as addicts, which is what they are.

[ummmm]

What has being on a drip got to do with anything? The chances are they are not connected to smoking.

[mikey4444]

Ummm....I think it might show how addicted they are to smoking.

[Mamyalynne]

My own Doctor told me the worst time to try to give up any addiction is whilst you are under stress, whenever I have smoked in Hospital grounds it has been as far away from main entrances as possible, yes even in my pyjamas.

[Prudie]

we'll ignore the fact that the numbers of particularly nurses but also doctors who smoke are above the national average.

[ummmm]

Every time I've been on a drip it has nothing to with smoking. Non smokers also like to get out of their beds, stretch their legs and get some fresh air.

My local hospital does enforce the no smoking rule.

[baza]

I give up smoking every time I park in my local hospital car park.

[ummmm]

Like it's said, Baza, while you're not smoking you're a non smoker :-)

[ToraToraTora]

ummm - "What has being on a drip got to do with anything? The chances are they are not connected to smoking. " you really are making yourself look silly ummmm. The drip is nothing to do with it as you well know, it merely serves as an indication of the desperation that some of these addicts have. How desperate they must be to walk from a ward with a piece of hospital equipment, see? Your hatred of me is regularly making you jump in the wrong direction without thinking.

[mikey4444]

Prudie...is there evidence for more Doctors smoking than average ?

In Wales, smoking is currently about 21%, across all adult males, and 18% for women, although I can't any figures that give the average for Doctors.

Given that smoking is much less prevalent amongst educated people, and a Doctor must be highly educated, where is the evidence that more than 21% and 18% of Doctors smoke ?