Smoking control in a hospital setting: a nonsmoking canteen eating area.

Abstract

For a number of years, the New Orleans VA hospital has considered banning smoking in its canteen eating area. Despite the clearly documented health risks associated with passive smoking (5), concern was that patients and employees would strenuously object to not being able to smoke in the canteen eating area. Despite several studies (2, 3,4) showing the high success and relative ease associated with controlling smolring in other hospital settings, there was reluctance to ban smoking in the hospital canteen eating area. An opportunity to initiate a new smoking policy in the hospital canteen eating area arose when this facility was moved to a different part of the hospital. Prior to its opening, the decision was made for it to be a nonsmoking area. Following extensive renovations, the canteen eating area opened as a no-smoking area. During the next three months, not one complaint was received about smoking not being allowed. Contrary to expectations, no problems arose with banning smoking in this area and only positive comments about controlling smoking were received. Unobtrusive observations of smoking behavior during two daily 10-min. time samples over a three-day period of time indicated 97% rate of compliance to the no-smoking policy. Despite the often made and vigorously presented arguments of the tobacco industry that people will object to any infringement of the right to smoke wherever they wish, research on smolting control (1) has consistently demonstrated that people do not object to appropriate restrictions on their smoking behavior. Hospitals are ideal settings to present comprehensive smoking control, discouragement, and cessation programs. REFERENCES 1. DAWLEY, H. H. (1987) Worksite smoking control, discouragement, and cersation: