New Zealand: All Hospitals and Health Board Properties Smoke Free [08/12-3]

Excerpts from: Total hospital smoking ban

By STEPHEN FORBES Aucklandstuff.CO.NZ [08/11/03]

The Waitemata District Health Board wants to make all of its hospitals and buildings smoke free in the next year as part of a campaign by its counterparts throughout the country.

The policy will ban smoking on health board properties, including car parks and outdoor areas.

The board says the policy will help minimise public and staff exposure to harmful cigarette smoke.

General manager of communications Caroline Mackersey says all staff areas will be smoke free by December 1 this year and all non-patient areas by February, 2004.

It was a hard decision and it will be hard on some individuals but the board had to make that decision because it's part of our responsibility to improve health in the community," Dr Johnson says.
"The Cancer Society and other groups have been working towards this for a long time so we decided we had to something about it."

Mrs Mackersey says Waitemata District Health Board staff members who want to give up smoking have been referred to Quitline for help.

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