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Child Item

GUH ban smoking on its premises

snubbleste

GUH is to ban smoking on its properties at UHG and Merlin Park from this week. Noticed lines of blue paint decorating the threshold of the UHG entrances over the weekend.
Does anyone know how this will be policed or are there sanctions?
Given that approx a third of adults smoke, does this mean we will be witnessing a line of citizens strung along Newcastle Road & gathering at the westside roundabout at all hours and all weathers in wheelchairs, nursing uniforms & dragging drips with them?

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ScumLord

yeehaw wrote: »

Go on out of that. Surely that 10 minutes is your lunchbreak?

No, if your only getting ten minutes for your lunch break no wonder you don't know about the other breaks your supposed to take. It's on health grounds that you take the break, it reduces RSI and back injuries, they should have had a safety meeting at your workplace where you should have been told about this and other things like how to lift a box.

JustMary wrote: »

10 minutes away from the computer is not the same as 10 minutes not working.

It is if your work centres around computers. Are you going to go sweeping floors during your break because I'm sure most would see being made do something else that's not int their job description as an insult.

Iwannahurl wrote: »

Smokers have to do without inhaling tobacco fumes on long haul flights, for example, so why not in a hospital?

No body smokes in a hospital, everyone smokes outside an airport, they don't go back out to the motorway for a fag.

KittyeeTrix

Seaneh wrote: »

I f*cking hate sitting at a bus stop and having to move because some gomey c*nt lights up a fag instead of pissing off outside where the wind will carry the smoke away.

Woah, point made loud and clear:eek:

Gold Leaf Tea

This system is very common in the UK, where ironically, the very same hospitals with extreme anti-smoking hospitals have inhouse McDonalds and Burger Kings

. Anyway, this same system is being rolled out gradually throughout Irish hospitals. A similar system has been in place in CUH for two years now. They have an 'officer' in charge of it who patrols around with her clip board making sure smokers are behaving themselves and is paid 40k a year for the priviledge. It isn't popular in CUH with either staff or patients, but they do have to walk further than one will in GUH, so going for a smoke eats into staff breaks considerably. I doubt it will prove particularly popular in GUH either. I know that they have staff sanctions in place for those caught smoking within hospital grounds in CUH, but I have no idea if they do anything to patients. They were extremely strict about it initially, but they seem a bit more relaxed now.

Such measures might seem extreme, but GUH is a university teaching hospital, and they should be doing what they can to promote good health. Discouraging smoking is definitely part of this. A covered in gazebo for the smokers, situated right beside the hospital door doesn't do much for this to be fair, and it is something that a hospital should be at least seen to be discouraging. Nothing worse than seeing a patient still on a drip standing outside the hospital puffing away, IMO anyway, and don't get me started on the heavily preggers women puffing away there too, one of the most ignorant displays you'll ever see!

Spacedog

Why not have an out of the way, well ventilated "smoking room" that has food and tea/coffee, A telly and maybe an x-box360 ...and foosball/airhocky. everyone's happy.

wintersolstice

i dont think you can sit in your car in the grounds and smoke either.also its going to cost a fortune to supply smokers with nicotine patches while in hospital.awful waste of hse money.

Gold Leaf Tea

Spacedog wrote: »

Why not have an out of the way, well ventilated "smoking room" that has food and tea/coffee, A telly and maybe an x-box360 ...and foosball/airhocky. everyone's happy.

Sure, why not provide the cigarettes for free for the smokers too:rolleyes:

KittyeeTrix

Spacedog wrote: »

Why not have an out of the way, well ventilated "smoking room" that has food and tea/coffee, A telly and maybe an x-box360 ...and foosball/airhocky. everyone's happy.

Finally, a voice of reason:D:D

maybe throw in one of those massage chairs or two??:p

ScumLord

Spacedog wrote: »

Why not have an out of the way, well ventilated "smoking room" that has food and tea/coffee, A telly and maybe an x-box360 ...and foosball/airhocky. everyone's happy.

Because non-smokers now hate the very sight of a smoker. They spend most of their day fuming at the thought of anyone smoking anywhere.

Robbo

Spacedog wrote: »

Why not have an out of the way, well ventilated "smoking room" that has food and tea/coffee, A telly and maybe an x-box360 ...and foosball/airhocky. everyone's happy.

Play your cards right and it could be the setting of a finely observed award winning sitcom.

What becomes of a patient who's caught smoking in one of the demilitarised zones? Fined? Intravenous lines yanked out? Denied access to all but homeopathic "remedies"?

inisboffin

Here's a linky to Citizen's information to help clear up how many breaks people are entitled to:rolleyes:

It's a tough call, yes the hospital does have to be seen to not encourage poor health choices, but as someone mentioned (with Mc D's and BK's ref) - this is selective.
I agree that smoking at hospital doors is nuts, but kicking people out to the road is not dealing with the problem, it is pushing it out to be someone else's problem. Who will clean butts on the road regularly, if all the smokers are coming from the hospital, surely they will have some responsibility?

A covered area well away from the door, but reachable does seem like a reasonable solution, but such Gazebos in Dublin are nasty when packed and you pass them.

Lots of psychiatric facilities let the patients smoke on balconies, as they may not be able/allowed to leave grounds.

There's a 25 foot rule in some States in the US (it's pretty daft, and randomly enforced), where you can't smoke within 25 feet of a door or window in public. Now imagine that on Quay St!

You could trial the bus stop thing, have certain bus stops be non smoking for example, but you may someone smoking 2 inches away in the rain and it won't be any different. Government needs the revenue.

MyPeopleDrankTheSoup

Gold Leaf Tea wrote: »

This system is very common in the UK, where ironically, the very same hospitals with extreme anti-smoking hospitals have inhouse McDonalds and Burger Kings

What's ironic about that? There's nothing inherently unhealthy about McDonalds or Burger King food, it's just the calories and quantities that some people eat.

While smoking:

KittyeeTrix

inisboffin wrote: »

. Government needs the revenue.

EDIT: Off topic so nevermind!!!

inisboffin

KittyeeTrix wrote: »

EDIT: Off topic so nevermind!!!

Sorry, I shouldn't have put that in, it was more the inner rant in my own head speaking!

Seaneh

inisboffin wrote: »

Government needs the revenue.

Smoking costs the state more in health care than they state receives in taxes.

BhoscaCapall

Seaneh wrote: »

Next up should be bus stops.

I f*cking hate sitting at a bus stop and having to move because some gomey c*nt lights up a fag instead of pissing off outside where the wind will carry the smoke away.

Agreed. Smoking always gives me the boke when sober, especially if I'm hungover. Amount of times I've been queuing to get on Bus Eireann the morning after and been stuck behind some aul wan who decides to chain-smoke 2 king size fags before she gets on

I always end up down wind too.

I'd actually prefer if the smoking ban was reversed, and pubs were the only places you could smoke. Nobody goes there for the sake of their health!

joeKel73

Ah I was wondering what those blue lines were about!

inisboffin

Seaneh wrote: »

inisboffin wrote: »

Government needs the revenue.

Smoking costs the state more in health care than they state receives in taxes.

I realise that is likely the case. But still remember tv smoking ads in my lifetime.

It was said with a note of sarcasm, part of a longer Govt rant!

hoody

This is a great idea, hope people abide by it and it becomes the norm for all hospitals nationwide to ban smoking on their grounds.

martyboy48

How will this be enforced?? Say i'm having a smoke, some smoking warden or such comes up to me to get me to stop.. What can he actually do and what are the consequences, a fine??
Not being skangerlike, just genuinly interested in how it will work/be enforced???

mikom

It won't be enforced.
At a rough guess I reckon about 80% of the nurses in both units smoke.

Mrs OBumble

inisboffin wrote: »

... kicking people out to the road is not dealing with the problem, it is pushing it out to be someone else's problem. Who will clean butts on the road regularly, if all the smokers are coming from the hospital, surely they will have some responsibility?

We expect dog-walkers to pooper-scoop. Don't see why we don't expect smokers to butt-scoop.

Frankly, this is long overdue.

Unlike any other addictive substance, smoking offers no benefits at all, ever, to anyone. If sick people won't give up the fags while they're in hospital, then discharge 'em and give the bed to someone who is prepared to engage in behaviours that will help them get better instead of worse: goodness knows the waiting lists are long enough.

The only exception I'd make is sectioned (or whatever it's called here) psych patients, who may well be addicted because of misguided behaviour management approaches used in the past, involving cigarettes as rewards.

inisboffin

JustMary wrote: »

inisboffin wrote: »

... kicking people out to the road is not dealing with the problem, it is pushing it out to be someone else's problem. Who will clean butts on the road regularly, if all the smokers are coming from the hospital, surely they will have some responsibility?

We expect dog-walkers to pooper-scoop. Don't see why we don't expect smokers to butt-scoop.

Frankly, this is long overdue.

Unlike any other addictive substance, smoking offers no benefits at all, ever, to anyone. If sick people won't give up the fags while they're in hospital, then discharge 'em and give the bed to someone who is prepared to engage in behaviours that will help them get better instead of worse: goodness knows the waiting lists are long enough.

The only exception I'd make is sectioned (or whatever it's called here) psych patients, who may well be addicted because of misguided behaviour management approaches used in the past, involving cigarettes as rewards.

Yeah, I never understood why fag stomping is ok but dropping sweet wrappers is littering.

But don't forget smoking for slimmers!

Nicotine is supposed to be one of the hardest of all addictions to kick, and sometimes when people give up fags - a much worse cough ensues as the bronchioles repair themselves (or something like that).
I know in theory giving up when one is sick seems rational, but it is the ultimate stress relief for many, and bang, doing it when in hospital might just feel too overwhelming. Plenty of chronic alcoholics in and out of hospital too, their addiction is just manifested differently in social terms. Harder to monitor short term, but if we're going to kick out smokers, we'd to look boozers too. Not so black and white..

A cousin works in 'Psych' in a Dublun hospital- and you're absolutely right about 'rewards'. Still happens, doling out fags to people, but moreso to keep an eye on amounts.

c_man

Are they gonna stop people bringing in Supermacs as well?

inisboffin

c_man wrote: »

Are they gonna stop people bringing in Supermacs as well?

Supermacs is dead to me since they killed off the codburger..

sorry, off topic!

paulgalway

Was over at the hospital this morning.

One of the car park attendants came out of the office to light-up.

If the staff don't lead by example, then I do not see this being successful.

snubbleste

paulgalway wrote: »

Was over at the hospital this morning.
One of the car park attendants came out of the office to light-up.
If the staff don't lead by example, then I do not see this being successful.

The ban actually starts tomorrow, Ash Wednesday

KittyeeTrix

If they are to implement this I would hope they would provide nicotine patches to patients who are not in the position to make their way the distance to the areas outside the hospital grounds.....obviously not for light smokers with mild irritation but the heavy ones who experience proper withdrawl symptoms.

I remember when my mum was in the hospital and my god the withdrawls were intense after about 4-5 days. She'd had a major operation and couldn't make it down to the front of the hospital. She was on particular IV blood thinners which are contraindicated with nicotine patches.

She was that agitated (I'd never seen here like this before:eek:) that her consultant made the decision to place her on the patches...

Realtine

While I think the 'smoke free campus' is a good idea, it's practically a rule in name only as it's almost impossible to enforce. Connolly in Blanchardstown did bring it in in 2009 it hasn't stopped patients or staff for that matter from lighting up in sneaky areas. But perhaps preventing smokers from congregating in front of entrances, which is an awful sight anyhow was part of the plan.
St. James brought the same rule in from Jan 1st this year but have provided, small uncomfortable areas away from all the main entrances as a place to smoke, but now patients are finding way's INSIDE the hospital to have a sneaky fag and the area provided near the A&E is encouraging more than smoking as it's kind of hidden and out of sight of all, especially at night and is now just an added headache for security.

snubbleste

I would be expecting speakers to be attached to the cctv poles in the area. The second you light up, a sing-song voice would bellow: Oi smoker, get thee beyond the blue line

inisboffin

snubbleste wrote: »

I would be expecting speakers to be attached to the cctv poles in the area. The second you light up, a sing-song voice would bellow: Oi smoker, get thee beyond the blue line

Or a robot that coughs exaggeratedly in a passive-aggressive way and then glares at you over its glasses...