Hospital under a smoke cloud

Taranaki Base Hospital is setting a poor example in allowing people to smoke in the main entrance, says Taranaki DHB chairman John Young.

He urged a faster move to implement a fully smokefree hospital and surrounds as he had seen firsthand at the new Wellington Hospital last weekend.

"Certainly walking in the front door and not tripping over the butts was quite an experience," he said.

"Our image is impaired in the way we function here at Base. There may well be some urgency in addressing this. It is costing the health system so much," Mr Young said.

Taranaki's public hospitals are smokefree indoors but smokers are permitted to light up on the grounds.

Mr Young said it was an anomaly that while thousands more were dying in New Zealand through smoke-related disease each year, the road toll was attracting the most headlines and advertising.

"I am very conscious of what it costs the health services compared with the road toll yet we continually promote the road toll via the media."

Ministry of Health figures show that 5000 people the population of a town like Te Kuiti die early each year as a result of smoke-related illness.

In comparison about 350 people died on the roads each year.

Mr Young's comments to the advisory committee meeting this week back those from his companion health board representatives who regularly complain about people crowding the hospital entrance to have their cigarettes.

It gave a bad example to others and was also unhealthy for the sick people coming in and out the doors, they said.

The board's planning and funding manager Sandra Boardman responded that work was under way to make the hospital smokefree but there was no timeframe as yet. And there were programmes and support for those wanting to give up. The aspiration was for the whole of Taranaki to become smokefree, Mrs Boardman said.

In her report to the committee, Maori Health chief adviser Christine Henare said hui had been held to work on strategies and policies aimed at making the hospital smokefree.

Ms Henare highlighted the absence of signs in the areas of the hospital's maternity services and whaiora coupled with financial pressures, which made for a difficult situation all round.

In her report, Mrs Boardman notes that the smokefree Taranaki Project was focusing on training in order to support the region to become smokefree. Options to provide workplace cessation training with the Quit Group and Quit @ Work were being explored.

The first pilot training was completed on March 12, she said.

On a good note, the committee was also told that the Waitara Bears Rugby League Club had led the way by making all outdoor areas at the Waitara Sports Grounds smokefree from the start of the season.

"The new smokefree decision will reduce the amount that children see their adult role models as smokers," Mrs Boardman said.

Signs had been put up, and the flags and goalpost surrounds will help promote the new stance.

"Additional advice and support will be given throughout the season to help maintain a smokefree culture within the club," Mrs Boardman said.

- © Fairfax NZ News