NHS 'tobacco free' campaign launched by Public Health England

[Northerner]

A "truly tobacco-free NHS" needs to be created to help smoker patients quit their habit, health officials say.

Only one in 10 hospitals enforces a smoking ban outside health service buildings, and Public Health England (PHE) wants all hospitals to offer help to quit as part of patients' treatment.

More than a million smokers are admitted to NHS hospitals every year.

PHE chief executive Duncan Selbie said it was not about "forcing people" to quit, but was about "helping people".

A recent report by the British Thoracic Society said 25% of hospital patients were recorded as being "current smokers" - which is higher than rates in the general adult population (19%).

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

 

[SadhbhFiadh]

It might help if staff didn't smoke just outside the doors as well.
My mother said she started smoking (she was a nurse in the early 1950's) because that was the only way they were allowed a break.
But then, the patient's smoked in their beds, and the staff smoked in the staff break room. Cigarette machines in the lunch room.
things have changed, but clearly not enough.

 

[mikeyB]

In Glasgow, the rule about smoking anywhere in hospital grounds is fairly regularly ignored. Any such rule, which essentially only affects smokers rather than the general public, is bound to be ignored. They have lifted the ban on vaping on Hospital property, so you see more and more people doing just that.

You say more than a million smokers are admitted to hospital every year. Even more non smokers are admitted, so it's obviously more dangerous not to smoke.😉

 

[Amigo]

In Glasgow, the rule about smoking anywhere in hospital grounds is fairly regularly ignored. Any such rule, which essentially only affects smokers rather than the general public, is bound to be ignored. They have lifted the ban on vaping on Hospital property, so you see more and more people doing just that.

You say more than a million smokers are admitted to hospital every year. Even more non smokers are admitted, so it's obviously more dangerous not to smoke.😉

Maybe the rest are passive smokers Mike!

 

[mikeyB]

Don't get me started on passive smoking, specially in the open air in toxic city streets.

I was thinking, Amigo just think what your Friday nights out would have been like before the smoking ban in public buildings.

 

[trophywench]

We were sat outside our Moho on a campsite in the Dordogne the other year and offered a chap tent camping opposite us, a cuppa, only thing was though, I apologised - we'd only just sat down and lit a fag while the kettle boiled - as you do LOL. That's perfectly OK he replied - I'd noticed you smoked as I've walked past before and usually hesitate just in front of your van where you can't see me - cos I really miss the smell! We howled with laughter - when it turned out he was a GP ! His considered medical opinion of himself was that's he's still an equally addicted passive smoker, though he'd packed up actually smoking himself 20+ years ago. I spose that just demonstrates how bad it really is, being serious for a minute.

 

[Amigo]

Don't get me started on passive smoking, specially in the open air in toxic city streets.

I was thinking, Amigo just think what your Friday nights out would have been like before the smoking ban in public buildings.

I've always gone out at weekends Mike and at one time it was horrendous. I'm not talking about the open air or the usual toxic fumes from vehicles debate, Prior to the smoking ban in public places, we always had to wash our clothes when we got home and the smell permeated everything. My father had COPD and never smoked in his life apart from the thousands of cigarettes he inhaled passively in the course of his job working with the public in confined spaces. His lungs were wrecked but the smokers had more rights then. The ban was the best thing that every happened! 🙂

 

[mikeyB]

Don't disagree with that, Amigo. A lot of folk in our previous generation who didn't smoke, got their COPD from coal fires and factory chimneys belching out toxic levels of irritants. The ones who smoked got it worse.