Frequently Asked Questions
What does Smoke Free Health Care mean?
The Smoke Free Health Care Policy means that smoking is not permitted in any indoor or outdoor area of a North Coast Area Health Service property, including hospitals. This applies to patients, visitors and staff. It also means that from now on, when a person receives a home visit from a NCAHS employee, they must make sure that no one is smoking in the house during the visit.
If you are a patient, not smoking will improve your health by:
- Faster recovery from illness or surgery
- Less risk of complications
- Less strain on your heart
- Improving your circulation and oxygen supply
- Improving your immune system
- Having a healthier baby, if pregnant
Why are Health Services totally smoke free?
We are all affected when exposed to tobacco smoke. Medical evidence has confirmed that tobacco smoking and exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke are harmful to health. It can cause heart disease, cancers and respiratory disease.
The Smoke Free Health Care Policy shows that North Coast Area Health Service is committed to health by protecting staff, patients and visitors from tobacco smoke. We are also making sure that your Health Service continues to meet its obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000.
What are Smoke Free Community Visits?
When a health worker provides a service in someone's home, that home becomes his or her workplace. When a person has a home visit from North Coast Area Health Service staff, they will need to make sure that no one is smoking in the house during the treatment. This is because the health service must follow the Occupational Health and Safety laws. By helping us with this policy, you will be helping us make sure that our staff stay healthy.
What support is there for patients who normally smoke?
Smoking can be difficult to quit for two reasons. Firstly, the nicotine in cigarettes is addictive. The second cause of smoking behaviour is the presence of smoking ‘triggers’ that prompt people to think of having a cigarette. During your stay in hospital we will help you to not smoke by:
- Offering Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) to patients who stay at hospital
- Removing all triggers to smoke in the hospital setting
Some smokers can tolerate not smoking for a few days in hospital without too much trouble. Others will need NRT so they do not experience nicotine withdrawal symptoms.
Some may wish to use hospitalisation as an opportunity to quit smoking for good.
Why use Nicotine Replacment Therapy?
The nicotine present in tobacco is a drug of dependence and some smokers experience withdrawal symptoms after not smoking regularly.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) stops a person from going 'Cold Turkey' and experiencing nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Using NRT doubles a person’s chance of successfully quitting smoking. If a person gets enough nicotine form NRT to prevent withdrawal symptoms, they won’t need to smoke.
What happens if a patient smokes during their stay in hospital?
We strongly discourage patients from leaving their bed to smoke during their time in hospital. We encourage patients to consider using NRT rather than smoking.
If a patient decides to leave the ward to smoke, staff will be unable to supervise them or their medical condition. For this reason, all smokers will be asked to sign a waiver. This waiver means the Health Service will not be responsible should a patient’s condition deteriorate or should they sustain an injury while leaving the ward to smoke.