BEAUMONT HOSPITAL IN Dublin has become the latest hospital to ban smoking anywhere on its grounds.
The ban, which came into effect today, applies to staff, patients and visitors at the hospital who will no longer be able to smoke anywhere on the hospital campus, including doorways, entrances or car parks.
The professor who led the steering committee which made the decision said that the rationale for the move had been “very simple”.
“Smoking is the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death and there is a growing recognition throughout the developed world that allowing smoking on healthcare campuses significantly undermines the health promotion message of healthcare organisations,” said Professor Gerry McElvaney.
Liam Duffy, the CEO of Beaumont, said it was the hospital’s obligation to provide a safe environment for its patients, staff and visitors.
The hospital is following the lead of a number of other hospitals around the country. Waterford Regional, Galway University Hospital, all of the hospitals in the Mid-Western Regional Hospital Group, and Cork University Hospital have all successfully banned smoking from their campuses, as well as St Vincent’s, Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown and the Mater in Dublin.
The HSE has set a target of banning smoking from the grounds of all health campuses by 2015.
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