13.

THW ban all medical profesional to

smoke
Since Scotland became the first country in the UK to introduce the smoking ban in March 2006, all the
remaining countries which constitute the UK all now have the same or very similar legislation in place with
regards to the smoking ban. There are some places which are exempt however. And, although any exemptions to
the smoking ban are highly likely to be the same, or very similar to, those which apply to England, all of the
information contained within this article comes from guidance set out under English law which came into force
on July 1, 2007. Therefore, it may be worth checking other legislation which applies to Scotland, Ireland and
Wales which may differ in some way just to make sure you know your rights.
What are the Exemptions to the Smoking Ban?
There are certain designated places which, under the normal conditions of the smoking ban, it would not be
permissible to smoke but where the government have made some exceptions. These include:

Mental health units

Residential care/nursing homes

Prisons

Adult hospices

Designated rooms in hotels

However, even within these kinds of enclosed establishments there are still strict rules surrounding where you
are permitted to smoke. For example, in a prison, you would be permitted to smoke in your own cell or if you
shared a cell with another smoker but you would not be allowed to smoke freely in any communal area which
may be shared with non-smokers nor would you even be able to smoke in your cell if you shared it with a nonsmoker.
To force a breakthrough in the smoking culture in psychiatry it should be prohibited for mental health staff to
smoke in the work place. There I said it! (and yes I agree it should be like that everywhere in health care but in
this blog I will focus on psychiatry). Its a challenge for patients to quit smoking in psychiatry where a lot of
people smoke. They get discouraged. Mental health workers may often tell the patient that its too hard to quit
with mental illness, that it stresses them out too much. And of course its quite an effort for them but I have seen
enough to prove that it is not impossible. Sometimes I wonder if staff who smoke feel threatened by the brave
attempts of patients who want to quit when they cant manage to quit themselves. Healthcare professionals are
an important component of every smokefree air campaign. Doctors, dentists, nurses, dental hygienists, and
healthcare students not only have a shared interest in promoting and protecting public health, but many are also
are well-known and well-respected within their communities.
If I'm in hospital all I want from my nurses and doctors is that they do their jobs well, which the overriding
majority do. Patients should focus on their job, which is primarily, getting better, not moralising on the private
lives of the people who are there to treat them.