Smoking ban

allnurses Guide · Mar 30, 2004

It has been working at the two large hospitals in my county and works well. Like the smoking ban in restaurant and bars in California . . .people whined and complained but it is still in effect and we non-smokers love it. Took my daughter to Reno though a couple of years ago and she was shocked to see people smoking in the casinos.

No smoking in our facility but there are designated smoking areas . . one outside the kitchen where you walk by to get your lunch and someone opens the door and smoke wafts in . . . and by the ER door, ahhhhh, that is so nice for the patient on the ambulance to smell on the way in the door.

I've never smoked. Both my parents did - and my siblings do. I cannot stand the smell. I hated going to school stinking like cigarettes. I do not pretend to be fair here . . . . I guess as Tom said, I'm picking on smokers. :)

steph

wjf00 · Mar 30, 2004

I don't smoke and never have, but if you want to kill yourself without blowing smoke in my face, I think you have that right. Just don't do it in the stairwells. One hospital I worked at, got fined for someone leaving a butt in the stairwells.

allnurses Guide · Mar 30, 2004

I'm pretty sure I mentioned this on one of the other many smoking threads . . but I visited my 10 year old nephew at UC Davis Medical Center when he was receiving chemo . . . headed out with my sis when she needed to smoke and walked down an outside stairwell littered with cigarette butts . . . simply everywhere. That was the "smoking section" for employees, I gathered. What a mess. The visitors smoked in front of the hospital under some trees - such a lovely sight to behold when you walk into the hospital.

I couldn't help but think how ridiculous it was . . . my sister puffing away while her son lay upstairs exhausted and in pain from cancer.

Like I said - I admit to not getting it. And being judgmental.

steph

plumrn, BSN, RN · Mar 30, 2004

Non-smoking facility here. I remember before the ban, I would come in for the evening shift all freshly bathed/shampooed, and after 30mins in the very small, report room with the door closed, and smokers all around, I would come out smelling like cigarettes. There was a virtual cloud when you entered the room. Got so mad when my first pt would ask if I smoked. After the ban, they remodeled our report room. The walls were white behind fixtures on the walls, and a terrible dingy yellow-brown elsewhere from all the nicotine they had been exposed to over time. We do have a smokers area outside, and I think that's only fair. It's not near an entrance, or under any windows.

fergus51 · Mar 30, 2004

I think the real problem is the smell. I mean, we are not allowed to wear perfume, but smokers come in smelling to high heaven.

allnurses Guide · Mar 30, 2004

I think the real problem is the smell. I mean, we are not allowed to wear perfume, but smokers come in smelling to high heaven.

We have one nurse like that . . reminds me of the character "Pigpen" in the "Peanuts" comic strip. That cloud follows him everywhere. He puts his coat in the coffee room and as soon as you walk in there . . whew-it hits you in the face.

Ok, enough bashing of smokers this morning . . . time to do some housework!

steph

veteranRN · Mar 30, 2004

I remember going to the hospital to deliver my fourth child and the smell of the nurse was sooooo offensive. The smell of smoke really nauseated me. I can understand what patients must feel.

Gomer · Mar 30, 2004

I smoke and don't want to quit, but I understand the rule. If you hospital is under JCAHO regulations and/or if you are in a non-smoking state, such as California, it's the law. JCAHO requires non-smoking environments and also has a rule about smoking within 25 feet of building entrances. In California not only can't we smoke in workplaces and public or private buildings, but now some cities are placing non-smoking bans on the beaches.

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 30, 2004

good----no smoking on beaches would work for me.... nothing worse than cig butts littering our beaches. so many dont' bother to clean up their butts. it's disgusting.

allnurses Guide · Mar 30, 2004

I smoke and don't want to quit, but I understand the rule. If you hospital is under JCAHO regulations and/or if you are in a non-smoking state, such as California, it's the law. JCAHO requires non-smoking environments and also has a rule about smoking within 25 feet of building entrances. In California not only can't we smoke in workplaces and public or private buildings, but now some cities are placing non-smoking bans on the beaches.

Well Gomer . . .I guess I'd better get out the measuring tape because that bench outside the ER doors with the smokers on it sure isn't 24 feet from the entrance. :rolleyes:

steph from California :)

smk1, LPN · Mar 30, 2004

just as an example when i was in early labor in the hospital the nurse that was assigned to me smelled like smoke so bad that every time she entered the room i started heaving and vomiting. I finally told her i thought it was the smell of smoke (all through my pregnancy smells were very hard on me) she apologized and switched assignments which was very nice of her! sometimes smokers i think really don't realize that to others who aren't used to the smell it can really wreak havoc with allergies, colds and in my case during pregnancy my stomach. I think the patch idea sounds good, that way the smokers hopefully won't have the withdrawals while at work, and the nonsmokers hopefully will have less of the "odor" to deal with.

smk1, LPN · Mar 30, 2004

good----no smoking on beaches would work for me.... nothing worse than cig butts littering our beaches. so many dont' bother to clean up their butts. it's disgusting.

i SOOOO agree with this! i was in puerto vallarta last year and was STUNNED at the amount of cig butts on the beach! on the most popular beaches they were literally EVERYWHERE! its sad because the pristine beauty of the beaches is being destroyed. (by other things as well, but the cig. butts doesn't help)