Trust plan to stub out smoking at buildings

Trust plan to stub out smoking at buildings

17 February 2016

THE South Eastern Trust will ban smoking in the grounds of all its premises in just over two weeks’ time.

The Downe and Downshire hospitals in Downpatrick, and a host of other Trust facilities across the district, will be smoke free from March 9, which is national No Smoking Day.

The ban — which is part of a Province-wide smoke free initiative being enforced by all health trusts — means patients, staff and visitors will no longer be able to smoke outside facilities or in their cars which are parked in a Trust car park.

The Trust says as its role is to improve people’s health, it cannot condone patients smoking who are receiving treatment.

Trust officials hope patients, visitors and staff will work with the organisation to ensure all buildings remain smoke free and help improve people’s health. In addition to buildings, smoking will be banned in hospital grounds and car parks.

Trust officials have also confirmed a recent survey revealed the smoke free initiative has the overwhelming support of its staff, service users and visitors. 

Ahead of the smoking ban, the Trust’s Medical Director Charlie Martyn joined Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride and Public Health Agency chief executive Dr Eddie Rooney to demolish a smoking shelter outside the Northern Ireland Cancer Centre. Dr Martyn said it is hoped both the public and Trust staff will embrace the idea of smoke free sites as it is “the right thing to do.” 

He added: “By creating smoke free environments, supported by stop smoking services, we hope we can take a big step forward in empowering people to quit their habit and live healthier lives.”

Dr McBride said one in every two people who smoke will die from their habit, explaining that by going smoke free, the health service is taking a big step forward in tackling smoking head-on by making its premises healthier environments. 

“Smoking not only has a human cost. With one third of cancer deaths and a significant proportion of coronary heart disease, strokes and circulatory illnesses, caused by smoking, it creates a massive financial burden on the health service in treating preventable smoking-related conditions,” he continued.

“It is unacceptable for patients, visitors and staff to be subjected to second-hand smoking while on health and social care facilities. By making this move, we hope to both protect people’s health directly and to influence cultural change by creating new norms around smoking in public.

“We hope that this move across the health service will act as a turning point for many people, including patients, visitors and staff, who will see it as an opportunity to quit their smoking habit.”

More information on support that is available at the Public Health Agency’s Want 2 Stop website, www.want2stop.info.