Smoking at hospitals

[iwentothemfmountaintop]

For context, I work at a hospital.

I’m sat waiting for a lift home and a woman, obviously a patient, has come and sat next to me and lit up a cigarette. She’s facing towards me each time she exhales her smoke. We’re right under a smoke free site sign!

AIBU or should there be security making sure this type of thing doesn’t happen? For all she knows I’m a patient here for a respiratory illness, having cigarette smoke blown on me! It’s absolutely vile, it’s making me feel sick and giving me a headache, but there’s nowhere else for me to wait for my lift.

outside the hospital is always the worst place for plumes of smoke from the smokers, the patients
live and let live op

Please tell me you've pointed out the sign and asked her to move away?

I mean, hopefully you're not just sitting there telling Mumsnet about it instead?

I’m sorry but when it pollutes the air and impacts others you shouldn’t be allowed to “live and let live”, it’s a smoke free site for a reason

I’m tempted to but I don’t think it would end well!

Oh for goodness sake this is ridiculous then!

Either use words or stand up and move away a bit.

just tell her
dont sit and do nothing

But you work there so surely you could/ should have directed her to a smoking area? I can’t believe you just let her carry on.

Yes probably security should also be on this. Did you have a chat with them about it at least (assuming it’s a wider issue than one individual woman sat in the wrong place)?

It's when they're they sat/stood there with their oxygen tanks that the irony strikes you.

Move away ?

I've had verbal abuse after asking smokers to move on outside hospitals - it's not worth the risk to yourself to tell them, the worst where I work are people right outside the mental health unit - you don't know how someone will react and I don't want to be attacked at work.
I don't understand why hospitals build large overhangs outside the entrance - those areas are terrible, stink of smoke and covered in cigarette butts.

The most depressing sign I saw was taped to a window and said 'Please don't smoke here, you are by the ventilation grill for the physiotherapy gym'

That’s exactly why nobody polices it. Security don’t have any authority & would just be told to f* off.

there will be more than one seat surely?

There are lots of polite ways to ask.

”sorry, I’ve for a breathing problem and your smoke may make me have an attack. Sorry to be a pain but please could you move away a little?”

How can she moan at that?

In a previous building, we had pregnant women smoking next to the sign saying “Please don’t smoke here - air intake for the special care baby unit”!

Lolling at the idea of security on smoking patrol...

I also work in a hospital and when I pass the smokers I always give a cheery would you mind smoking away from the entrance please. Most apologise and move away.
Try it

You can’t see for plumes of fag smoke around the entrance of our local hospital.

Mainly patients, all hooked up to various bits of medical equipment. Almost like they’re laughing at the NHS

Yeah this. Just flash your badge and politely ask to move away.

Ive always found it crazy that seriously unwell people in their gowns wheeling their drips would stand outside the door smoking.

“Sorry love, but this is a no smoking area..the smoking area is over there <point to designated area>. “

Make it make sense.
Why do people want to smoke it ruins your health and is responsible for so many illnesses. Not too mention it stinks.

It's very weird to see it outside hospitals. Shouldn't be allowed. Might help them give up in the long run if they can't easily do it.

How shit can you get smoking when pregnant. The lowest of the low. Poor babies. Where are their rights?

NHS staff smoke too. Not right by the entrance, but often still in no smoking areas, just further away/around the corner.

They get rights when they are born.

they used to say smoking while pregnant keeps the mum calm
and keeps the baby's size small for an easier birth

I work for an NHS Trust. A lot of time and money is spent on implementing ‘Smoke Free’ but the reality is that security do not have time to police it. Many people at hospitals are stressed/ upset so smokers are going to want to smoke. I think removing the smoking areas and declaring sites to be smoke free is unrealistic.

In the situation the OP was in, your choices are either to move away or say something.