Hospital grounds to be smoke free

[Posted: Fri 30/05/2008 by Olivia Fens]

Patients, staff and visitors will no longer be able to smoke outside the main St Vincent’s University Hospital building from next year.

The entire St Vincent’s Hospital campus in Dublin 4 is to become a no smoking zone from January 1, 2009.

A spokesperson for the hospital said it intends to extend its existing indoor smoking ban to the whole of the campus, including the grounds, from that date.

Smoking cessation programmes, counselling and support for patients and staff have been developed in the lead up to the campus ban.

For smoking patients, nicotine replacement therapy will be provided as well as advice and support from the hospital’s smoking advice service.

“St Vincent’s University Hospital will continue to work collaboratively with both patients and staff to ensure this initiative is introduced in a timely, effective and compassionate manner,” the spokesperson said.

Currently, less than a quarter of patients in St Vincent’s University Hospital are smokers.

“The proportion of staff who are smokers is falling, with the most recent survey showing that less than one in five smoke. The majority of hospital staff indicated that they would support the implementation of a ban,”   the spokesperson said.

For more information on smoking cessation and to find a local support group, contact the HSE support service at: 01 274 4297.

http://www.irishhealth.com/index.html?level=4&id=13677

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1107/9news_av.html?2446509,null,230