To think stopping hospital staff smoking within the grounds

[Sparklingbrook]

will cause no end of problems?

here

On paper it's a good thing but can it actually be done?

It's an offence to drop cigarette butts on the ground in Northern Ireland. Most bins have ashtrays on the top of them.

msmoss in some areas of the UK there are litter wardens employed by the local council who can fine people.

Last year I was in one of there areas smoking 5 of them were hiding behind some bushes waiting to leap out at me and get me. However I always use a portable ashtray for both my ash and my butts, as I walked past the bush I said in a loud voice 'you can come out now I am going' and they all shuffled off looking a bit annoyed.

I always use one of those pocket ashtrays even if there are no council wardens about if Hospitals really want to stop people smoking then they should apply anti littering laws which is some areas carry more weight and are more legally enforcable then smoking bans where its not illegal to smoke

I'm not a smoker but I sympathise with smokers and realise it is a very hard habit to break. I've had a couple of long hospital stays and am amazed at the lengths smokers will go to for a cigarette. One patient regularly left the ward in the middle of the night to smoke. Would it not be safer to have a designated smoking area on the hospital grounds - admittedly away from entrances - where smokers can go - both patients and staff. People will smoke regardless of the warnings and I'd rather they did it in a safe place.

It's time that the sale of cigarettes was banned altogether.

I hate smoking, but even I think this is not such a good idea. They have those rules here, and all it meant is that you have to either run the gauntlet through the main gates by the staff that went just a centimeter offsite, or the gauntlet of patients at the doors who ignored all attempts by security to stop them. I'd much prefer they were provided an area out of the way to smoke and allow me clean air passage to the building. I really don't care if people choose to smoke, but I don't think I should be subjected to it when trying to walk in to a medical facility.

At our local hospital there are designated areas for smoking on hospital grounds. Unfortunately, people still don't get the message and continue to smoke directly outside the hospital doors. The power of nicotine addiction is so strong though, especially when you see some seriously ill patients wheeling their drips outside. There was a horrible case a number of years back of a patient who set fire to himself lighting a cigarette when he was on oxygen (I think that was on the ward though).

I used to smoke and I know how damn hard it is to stop. When you're under stress with an ill relative or even ill yourself, I can understand why people fall back on smoking as it's their only way of dealing with things. I don't like seeing people smoking on hospital grounds (patient or employee), but I DO understand.

SomeTimesLonely....Even as a smoker I am not going to argue! If we all had to give up because there were no more tobacco... ever...then we would have too!!! I know its a disgusting habit , but I don't smoke much, I NEVER leave my butts on the ground and am very aware not to let my smoke annoy other people, I ENJOY SMOKING! There ...I said it. I very rarely drink, have no opinion on people who do, but I was lectured about smoking by someone who drinks a bottle of wine a night at home and always gets totally smashed every time we all go out. It is her life and I let her live it. I want to smoke my cigarette in peace, away from anyone and not be frowned at.

My lovely friend always says 'I bloody love smoking' Marylou. She is such a great friend, and I can't argue with her.

Don't know what the solution is. If there was a designated smoking area which removed all the vile smoke from right outside entrance doors, I would be all for it.

One of the hardest things I've ever done was leave hospital with empty arms, having to walk out of the maternity ward through a group of heavily pregnant women all puffing away. Under a "please do not smoke there are newborn babies in this building" sign.

Now I'm pregnant again the last thing I want to do is drag my bump through a cloud of smoke either every time I have to visit antenatal.

Equally, my DS was very sick for the first 6 months of his life. It took all my control to not say something to the selfish cunts people smoking outside the doors to the children's ward.

Anything that means I don't have to walk my kids through smoke is fine with me. And I don't think a whole premises ban is working.

sometimeslonely I totally disagree because then you're just creating another illegal drug to police and unnecessarily criminalising a lot of people along with providing a huge money making activity for criminal gangs.

sometimeslonely

There would also be a big drop in funds going into the treasurery.. that would not make the government very happy really.

Nun....Hugs for you. I didn't start smoking till I was 38! (it was smoking or drink after horrendous time of life) so wasn't a smoker when pregnant. I agree with you about seeing pregnant women smoking...but it is their life and their babys life. There is no answer and people will do what people will do. I Tend not to get stressed about what others do, unless it effects me...I have enough to worry about me and mine.

Marylou I don't normally bother myself about others habits for the same reason (though will never be happy walking myself or kids through smoke when if others were more thoughtful it could be avoided), but that day, knowing I was leaving the hospital without my baby, and knowing I did everything right in my pregnancy, it was a massive fuck you seeing others put their babies at risk.

Nun....I never thought you were judging them but you have every right to feel all of the above about pregnant mums smoking. I am so so sorry about your baby. Can I ask you their name?

Gabrielle I wear my judgy pants high and proud on some days and that was one. I do agree though I have too much to focus on in my own life to worry about what others do if it doesn't affect me. I agree there is no point me getting stressed over others choices!

When my Mum had treatment for cancer at Christies in Manchester there were people on drips outside the main gate smoking which saddened me a little.

I'm a smoker and know that it could be me one day.

they do it our big hospital.
so they all stand on the pavenent outside the main vehicular entrancevin their uniforms as patients drive by...

I'd have some sympathy with a relative who's just been told some terrible news and "needed a fag" to help calm down at that moment

So would I, and I'm an ex-smoker. I fully agree with it being kept away from the actual buildings, but hospital grounds tend to be very large - surely there's somewhere they could allow smoking?

I once saw a security chap ripping into a lady who was smoking and very distressed - goodness knows what the circumstances were, but it did seem a bit unfeeling, given the state she was in

When I worked flexi-bank for my local Trust across all of their sites I didn't come across a single ward \ unit that didn't have an outside area that staff used as an unofficial smoking hidey hole, ban or no ban.

I work in a hospital that has been smoke free for years. Staff and patients go and stand on the kerb outside.
I have seen patients dragging a drip in the rain for a fag.

Actually I would be happy to see a dedicated smoke shelter.

Our local hospital recently (just since the new year) banned smoking by staff or patients on the grounds. I used to think this was a bit draconian but in November I spent 8 days in the children's HDU with 6mo ds2 who had horrendous bronchiolitis. He was so ill, was very nearly ventilated. We shared a room with a baby girl the same age who also had bronchiolitis and her parents were tag teaming each other going out for fags. Watching my little lad (and this tiny girl) struggling to breathe while being forced to share a room with people who reek of fags made me think it was probably a good idea to ban smoking on the grounds. Maybe the parents wouldn't have been smoking so much if they had to go further away.

I'm a smoker, but am very aware that it stinks. On the three mornings I work, I have a cigarette before having my shower, then don't smoke till I'm home at 2.30pm.

I work in close contact with the public and think its horrible to be smelling of smoke when dealing with people, especially the sick or elderly.

Nun, what a lovely name. I am leaving this thread now because, whilst I agree with some of these threads and can understand some of the points, I think ultimately that people will always smoke (and find a way to smoke) as long as there is tobacco available.

Thank you mary

From a terribly economic pov, fags bring in more in taxes than they cost the NHS. so I'm told anyway. I think smoking shelters are a better idea than all out bans. At least then staff would be able to direct smokers to the designated area and hopefully it would affect non smokers less. As well as causing less upset to smokers who may already be having a hard time.