Media Release 30 Nov 2007

Don’t smoke around us: Totally smoke free from November 30th 2007

From the 30th November Royal North Shore Hospital will be totally “smoke free”.

This means that the last few designated outdoor smoking areas on our grounds will be abolished. All our buildings, vehicles, official events, and grounds will be totally free of tobacco smoke.

Despite advances over the last two decades, tobacco smoking remains Australia’s single greatest cause of preventable illness and death. Each year 16,000 Australians still die each year from tobacco caused illness. More die each year from this cause than from motor vehicle accidents, suicide, breast cancer, HIV/AIDs, murders, drownings, fires, and all natural disasters combined.

A health service has a responsibility to lead the community in lessening this toll. We should do nothing to facilitate continued smoking, and of course we should take all actions to protect non-smokers from the effects of environmental tobacco smoke.

How did we get to this stage?to this stage?
For a number of years NSCCAHS has been at “Phase 3” of NSW Health Smoke Free Workplace Policy. This phase limited outdoor smoking to a few locations, made Nicotine Replacement Therapy available to staff and and placed Nicotine Replacement Therapy on the formulary to help nicotine dependent inpatients. We will now make the final move to “Phase 4”, abolishing those last smoking locations.

Are there any exceptions?
Mental Health inpatient units, and Drug and Alcohol inpatient services which are not already smoke free will have an extension of time to work through a number of issues, and for the moment can keep restricted outdoor smoking areas.

So what will smokers have to do now?
Preferably, we’d like smokers to QUIT. It’s the single best thing they can do for their health. However, nicotine is highly addictive and many people find it difficult.

But people with continuing nicotine dependence no longer need to get their intake from the inhalation of burning leaf. Nicotine may be delivered by patches, inhalers, lozenges, or gums, all freely available without prescription (and cheaper than buying cigarettes!)

Such Nicotine Replacement Therapy also doubles the success of any Quit attempt.

Anyone who wants to smoke will need to leave the grounds.

How will this be enforced?
Much of this is self enforcing. Overall, in NSCCAHS, 85% of our population does not smoke.

Most people will do the right thing when they know what it is. It is the responsibility of all of us to take a leading role and politely draw the policy to the attention of anyone seen smoking at the hopsital.

How will we tell people about this?
An extensive public communications campaign will inform people of the change to the policy.

Any existing smoking locations will have new signage prohibiting smoking, and smoking related litter will be removed. One pile of cigarette butts attracts another.

There will be ongoing monitopring and improvements to practice and changes implemented as we go. Together we can make a difference.

Media Contact: Emily Saker 9926 8313 / 0404 054 160

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