Non smoking hospital: What is this?!!!

Crux1024 · Sep 3, 2007

I asked this same question about 2 months ago, and apparently its a starting trend. My facility is going smokeless, thats means no smoking ANYWHERE on hospital owned property, including visitors and patients. And its not just one hospital, its the 3 hospitals owned and all satellite sites (doctors offices, nursing homes etc..).

In return, for staff and patients they are offering smoking cessation counseling and cessation aids in hopes that they can make people healthier. Its actually going over better than I thought it would, lots of people are being inspired to quit. Although there are some royally pissed off about the "government controlling our lives".. Im anxious to see how it does go with telling visitors they cant smoke anymore...

Katnip, RN · Sep 3, 2007

It's becoming more and more common around the country. I don't think it's a bad thing since hospitals are supposed to promote healthy habits, not encourage bad ones. It's just one more albeit small way of reducing that "unwilling pack a day."

You're right. Patients and their families can choose other hospitals. I'm betting most don't and that they'll bring in more business because of this.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2007

82 percent of Californians are nonsmokers. California and Utah are the two states with the lowest smoking rates in the entire nation. I am certainly sure that hospital management researched this regional trend, so they are probably attempting to appeal to the majority of the population by converting into a nonsmoking hospital.

Since the majority of people don't smoke, they might decide on the nonsmoking hospital after all.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Sep 3, 2007

Ours went smoke-free earlier this year and i LOVE it. No more walking through a smoke fog at the door into the hospital and reeking of it. No more walking through the smoke fog in the parking lot from everyone wbo lit up after work.

We have signs posted everywhere about being a smoke-free facility. Pts. where i live have another choice of a hospital not that far away. But they're going smoke-free in about a year.

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2007

[evil]

it's just one more albeit small way of reducing that "unwilling pack a day."

[/evil]

i don't understand this comment cyberkat. could you please clarify. are you saying that we should prohibit the usage of hummers and suvs in our city. now i am totally for this! i cannot reduce my consumption of very poor air. are you telling me i should hold my breath? ! ! !

cheshirecat · Sep 3, 2007

The hospital I work in has a complete smoking ban. People are not even allowed to smoke in their cars if they are on hospital grounds.

I personally think it is a good thing. I think all NHS hospitals are non smoking.

Blee O'Myacin, BSN, RN · Sep 3, 2007

recently my hospital, the one that wants to be ahead of any other healthwise in the central valley, has instituted, or will institute a policy of no smoking anywhere not even smoking areas provided to families visiting or patient's choosing to smoke. this sounds so progressive and right but in the back of my mind it is not right to force a life style change on someone, even if you in your program offer up nicotine lozengers or patches which our hospital will. true patients can choose to go to another hospital for treatment and they probably will when this takes effect tomorrow. any thoughts? ! i don't smoke or never have for that matter but i do live in a highly air polluted city so i probably consume a pack a day unwillingly.
smoking in bars is illegal in california, however smoking outside the bar is permitted. not at my hospital ! ! does this sound screwy or what?

oh, and staff are not aloud to smoke on the hospital grounds either!

i'm sorry if the new policy upsets you, but i am just as happy to not have to cover for coworkers who are outside smoking (i know that not all smokers do this) and i am glad to not have to smell it on people or in the entry ways, etc.

somehow, i don't think the smoking policy either way will deter people from using a hospital. when you are sick - or a loved one is sick, you pick the hospital that offers the best care.

as for the comment about a ban on suvs and hummers, why not? but then again, there is no direct link as far as i know between second hand fuel emmissions and lung cancer - though the second hand cigarette smoke has already been proven.

blee

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Sep 3, 2007

Talk about choice - what about those of us who choose not to smoke but have to breathe the nasty stuff because others have chosen to kill themselves slowly. How can a facility promote anything except a non-smoking policy???

We instituted this several years ago. Turned out to be a good thing for the public. Staff no longer had to sweep up after smokers. No more fires in trash cans. Babies and other vulnerable patients could come thru the doors without walking thru a haze.

The staff members who smoked were given patches and classes on quitting smoking. Many took advantage of this. Facility SMELLS a lot better now.

allnurses Guide · Sep 3, 2007

Hey, I just bought a lovely SUV and we also have a big pickup. No banning allowed.

As to smoking, I hate it. Never smoked because all my family did and it was awful to always reek of smoke.

However, my dh and I did not vote for the smoking ban in CA because we are not in favor of government getting that closely involved in taking away freedom.

(I will say that it is nice to eat in a restaurant and not smell smoke though.)

We think each individual business owner has the right to ban smoking and that includes hospitals.

Just keep Uncle Sam out of it.

steph

AlabamaBelle · Sep 3, 2007

Our facility has been smoke-free since November, 2006. Families of patients know exactly where they can go to smoke off hospital grounds. We (the staff) had a lot of fun with the hospital administration claiming that city/county land that surrounds the hosptial was actually hospital property - not!!!

I really enjoy not having to go through the "gauntlet" of smokers just outside the building. I am a nonsmoker and didn't like going in/out of all that stench.

I also would get really annoyed at the smoking staff taking long smoke breaks while the rest of us tried to just get to the bathroom down the hallway. Do smokers really think that they don't stink.

Hospital policy also states that the smell of smoke may not be on our uniforms, in our hair. The smell alone is enough for disciplinary action.

I really, really like being smoke free!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cindy

elkpark · Sep 3, 2007

It's not just CA; I live in NC, a traditional "tobacco state," and more and more of the hospitals are going completely smoke-free (and there's a lot less hubbub about it than people were expecting -- most folks are managing to take this in stride and survive). I think it's great, and should have happened a long time ago! :) No one is "forcing a lifestyle change" on anyone -- once they leave the hospital, they're free to go back to killing themselves and the people around them ... There are all kinds of things that you're allowed to do in this country that you're not allowed to do in hospitals for safety & health reasons, and smoking is now one of them. I don't really see why that's considered such a big deal ...