To think smokers should not smoke next to a no smoking sign?

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(My first aibu - am bracing myself)

Today, I was parked outside a hospital waiting for my parents to come out. Right outside the entrance of the hospital and for about 50 metres, there are numerous signs (I counted eight from where I could see) signs saying "please do not smoke here" and "no smoking". I was waiting for about ten minutes, and I saw lots of people (15) smoking around the whole no smoking zone inc. several people (6) actually smoking next to a no smoking sign. I was partly amused by the irony of it but I also thought there must be a reason why it's a no smoking area, so why are they smoking there? Why could they not walk a little way and smoke where there were no signs? Just to let you know, the whole entrance area inc. way beyond the signs is sheltered and it was not even snowing nor raining.

But Germy what many of us, including me an ex20 a day girl, are saying is most smokers would manage a flight without a desperate life saving fag.

A hospital is a place where the sick go to be made well. Unless you're stupid you wouldn't want anything to come between you and getting better would you?

It is not a place that should be required to pander to smokers.

If I ran a hospital you wouldn't be able to smoke within a city block of it.

Holly to 12 of your points I couldn't give a shiny shit. I think it's a great shame that you'll justify those and flippantly say you'll die early. Frankly I'd rather do without your tax £.

Once again I say this as an ex smoker.

The thing is, people choose to smoke, fair enough but I don't understand why they would choose to ignore the health of others and blatantly disregard the signs when they could easily walk or use a wheelchair to go a bit further on, where there are not lots of people entering and leaving the building. Common courtesy and decency, no? I am, of course, talking about the hospital I was at, which does not ban smoking outright.

enjoy you are putting your own experience as an ex smoker and believing that all ex smokers feel the same. When i smoked i was a hard smoker i wouldn't have lasted half an hour let alone a flight without a cigarette. i was truly addicted, i gave up i have no ideas how or why it worked. i just thank the lord that all the stars were alingned that day and i finally broke the habit.

that's why i think i can really emphathise with how people who are really ill in hospital may feel with regard to smoking. i think it 's very easy to judge and i agree that smoking ain't great but in the grand scheme of things i think they should be given a little slack.

And I reiterate, this hospital also has a massive shelter where you would not get rained or snowed on.

DH's parents both died very early due to smoking related illnesses. They did need the NHS. DH would like nothing better than to be visiting them in a care home in 10 years time.

By actually being allowed to smoke in hospital grounds is cutting them some slack. Why don't they cut the non-smokers some slack by not forcing their smoke on them. I really don't care if someone chooses to smoke to be honest as long as I don't have to breathe it in. Just a little bit of decency is all it takes.

EnjoyResponsibly - Just as well I don't seek your approval.

FWIW - smoking is legal. Smoking outside is legal.

The government will never outlaw smoking - its far too beneficial to the coffers.

Germy I believe you are wrong. However you are entitled to your opinion. Well done for quitting. It's hard work, I agree.

Smoke if you want. Smoke yourself into an early grave. But have the integrity to say you smoke because you want to do that more than you want to not do that.

And having done that, respect that other people want the right to use their hospital as a place to receive treatment that will make them well and that does not include wading through fag smoke and dog ends on the way in.

The government will never outlaw smoking

I wouldn't be too sure about that. It is becoming increasingly difficult to smoke in public places.

And honestly Holly are you 10? DS has better foot stamping arguments to justify stupidity than that.

I think hospitals should allow 'smoking areas', but then I also think hospitals should have free parking. We ain't gonna get it are we?

Holly- you smoke because you've made that choice, not because of some desire to redistribute your funds to the state and tobacco corporations.

The needs of the state would be met by other taxation if nobody smoked (do you have links for those figures by the way?)

You'll only avoid being a burden on the NHS if you die promptly without requiring any kind of medical treatment at all. If the NHS has to treat you for lung cancer with surgery and/or chemo/radiotherapy, or if you need heart surgery; or if you are rendered immobile by emphysema but survive for several years, requiring care at home or in a nursing home, then that'll make a big dent on the tax revenues you've congratulated yourself on.

I am a smoker and I try to be as respectful as possible to people who don't smoke.

The gradual degradation of facilitities, rubbish bins and areas where smoking is OK, is making smoking in the wrong places more of a regular occurence.

Trying to ignore the issue is not the right approach: tell us where to go and what to do when we are at the end of our tether because our loved one is ill, we will do it.

When my Grandad died, my mother, sister and I (three smokers) viewed his body. We found a patch of grass out the back of the hospital, the three of us had a fag after kissing our beloved's dead face, we talked over how each of us had felt about seeing Grandad dead. It was a special time for us, and yes, we needed a fag.

Holly- your pension funds will be absorbed by the state? Your death will free up housing? I guess that's true if you intend to die intestate with no heirs or surviving dependants/ other house occupants- but you can write a will if you don't want to pass all this on to the state.

You seem to have a very idealised view of how people die from smoking related illnesses- I can only hope that that's because you haven't seen family and friends suffer prolonged and painful smoking-related illnesses. I come from a family of smokers- all of the relatives I ever knew (bar one) that are now dead died from smoking-related illnesses. All of them suffered horrible diseases for several years, all of them required vast amounts of medical treatment from the NHS .

People seem to have taken to smoking right outside shop doors next to no smoking signs, its so annoying, and unfair that myself and my DC should get a face full of smoke because they were so desperate to have a fag. Im suprised thats put up with outside a hospital though!

I think smokers should smoke next to no smoking signs- I'm an ex smoker myself and would have stopped sooner if it wasn't for fear of turning into the kind of sanctimonious asshole who considers this an issue.

Hospitals used to have smoking rooms and they should bring them back along with repealing the smoking ban in pubs clubs and restaurants- all it has done is attract self righteous bores who nobody ever wanted in entertainment venues.

So yes, OP, YABU and, even worse, depressingly tedious and unoriginal.

Ha, ha, holly and smokers and co. see how funny it it is when your still young and dying of lung cancer and it's your kids who are nursing you and watching you in pain and taking your last gasps as we had to with my mum (who also chain smoked though all pregnancies and our childhood so greatly increasing the risk of passive smoking to her children) - so funny LOL!

Oops, sorry for being so sanctimonious! Watching someone you love die because of their habit and them possibly damaging your own health kinda makes you a bit boring and sanctimonious. But you smokes are so out there so who cares really, except your kids.

I'm an ex smoker myself and would have stopped sooner if it wasn't for fear of turning into the kind of sanctimonious asshole who considers this an issue.. Oh, so it was for the principle that you did not stop sooner and not because you were perhaps addicted to it and like most people found it hard to kick the habit. I think you did your health a disservice for your principles. Your loss, not mine.

Hospitals used to have smoking rooms and they should bring them back along with repealing the smoking ban in pubs clubs and restaurants- all it has done is attract self righteous bores who nobody ever wanted in entertainment venues.. Pot, kettle.

I have no issue if people want to smoke as long as they show basic levels of curtosey towards others. Just move away from the door, especially if that door leads to a and e. stand somewhere were others won't have to breathe in your smoke. Surely that's not a lot to ask?

I found it very depressing (not to mention disgusting) to have to walk in to my ante-natal appointments, scans etc and to deliver both my babies, past a line of heavily pregnant women in pyjamas, puffing away in the freezing cold, next to the many NO SMOKING signs by the front door of the maternity unit. Smoking is one of the most selfish thing you can do - directly affecting your health, other people's health, polluting the environment, clogging up the NHS with unnecessary illness, costing the state millions and millions of pounds every year ...

No, hospitals should not make it easy for people to have a fag, they should make it bloody difficult. Anything to convince people that they need to try and quit.

The problem is that Hospitals can have as many no smoking signs as they wish but these signs are NOT enforceable by Law smoking outside is legal under Anti smoking legislation even on private property. Therefore your average smoker has every right to ignore them.

When my Mum was in Hospital there were signs saying this hospital is a non smoking site, I ignored it and smoked in the grounds. HOWEVER I did not smoke anywhere near the door or other people and always carry a portable ashtray so don't put my butts on the floor I empty the cold ones in the bin. I agree standing outside the main door smoking is selfish thats why I don't do it.

BTW Hospitals ARE aware that their no smoking rules are not enforceable. The only people they can legally sanction for smoking on their grounds are their staff and only then if its a condition of their employment that they don't smoke in the grounds and/or in uniform

my mother died of lung cancer.

i agree with Alice.

Feel the love people. All these otherwise PC and right on types feel they can vent their DM spleen (that they hide secretly in their hearts) on the poor old smoker.