Discouraging smoking in hospitals

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32803, 31 December 1971, Page 12

Discouraging smoking in hospitals

Smoking in hospitals under the control of the North Canterbury Hospital Board is permitted except in bed after lights out, but members of the medical staffs are hoping to have smoking prohibited. At present visitors to board institutions are asked not to smoke.

At the August meeting of the board the institutions committee reported that the Hospitals* Medical Staff Association had passed a series of resolutions concerning smoking. The resolutions had been approved by the medical staff and the association asked that they be adopted by the board. It was reported that the scope of the resolutions was much greater than at present covered by the by-laws, and while the committee agreed that there, was merit in them it was recommended that the medical superintendent-in-chief discuss the matter with the association and try to have some of the proposals revised.

The board agreed with this recommendation and decided that the resolutions as proposed would have “interfered unduly with the. liberty of the individual.” It was. also decided that the board should wait to hear from Dr D. R. Hay, senior cardiologist at the Princess Margaret Hospital, before making any final decision. At the time Dr Hay was attending the second world conference on smoking and health in London.

Dr Hay has since made a comprehensive report which includes a suggestion that the Department of Health should prepare guidelines to help hospitals and health care institutions in establish-

ing more effective smoking control measures.

Dr Hay said the following should be included in recommendations to hospital boards:— Patients should be informed on admission to hospital that smoking is unhealthy and that the medical staff would prefer them not to smoke, not only from their own point of view but also for the sake of other patients. Patients should be allowed only limited smoking privileges at particular times and in defined areas, unless otherwise determined by the medical staff in charge. Smoking by hospital staff should not' be allowed in wards, in outpatient clinics or in front of patients. Visitors should not be allowed to smoke in hospitals but exceptions may be allowed in times of stress.

The sale of cigarettes or tobacco in hospitals should be prohibited. The establishment of antismoking counselling services in hospitals should be encouraged wherever possible.

A special committee is now preparing a report on smoking in hospitals.' As well as the Christchurch Hospitals’ Medical Staffs Association’s proposals, it is considering recommendations made by the Director-General of Health to discourage smoking.