Scotland's hospital smoking ban: law could be restricted to designated areas
Monday, November 9, 2015 at 18:05 The Scottish Parliament's Health and Sport Committee has published its report on the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Bill.
You may recall that in September I was invited to give oral evidence to the committee and I took the opportunity to complain bitterly about the proposal to bring in a law that makes it an offence to smoke on hospital grounds.
My comments were widely reported by BBC Scotland and the rest of the Scottish media including the Herald which quoted me at length.
The bad news is that the Committee has, as expected, endorsed the proposal to make it an offence to smoke in NHS hospital grounds.
The 'good' news, if I can call it that, is that the Committee appears to agree with Forest (and a "number of other organisations") that a comprehensive ban is a step too far:
According to the Committee:
Forest considered it totally wrong to ban smoking in all hospital grounds calling it inhumane” especially for visitors, staff and patients who may be experiencing stressful situations. Forest also highlighted safety concerns for staff and others who would have to leave NHS premises in order to smoke.
Forest called for the decision on where to restrict smoking to be left to the Chief Executive of each hospital rather than a one-size-fits all" approach imposed from central Government. A number of other organisations also argued that it should be left to each health board to decide the extent and boundaries of the non-smoking area designated under the Bill.
So instead of a ban on smoking across entire NHS sites, the Committee appears to believe it should be an offence to smoke only within certain areas.
Whether the Scottish Government will allow even this small concession remains to be seen. No doubt ASH Scotland and others will be lobbying ministers not to give an inch, but we'll see.
We will of course continue to press our own case. Sadly we won't be getting any help from the ex-smoking vaping community.
Invited to express an opinion on hospital smoking bans, their representative told the Committee, "I would rather not talk about tobacco, to be honest."
Priceless.
See Stage 1 Report on Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Bill.
PS. Re the 100 yard comment erroneously attributed to me, here's my original explanation, which is worth repeating:
One thing I must correct is a remark attributed to me by the Press Association and repeated in several newspapers.
According to the PA I suggested "designated shelters or a 100-yard no-smoking zone would be more appropriate" than a total smoking ban.
That's not quite right. The 100-yard figure was [MSP] Richard Lyle's idea. I accepted there was a case for banning smoking around hospital entrances but I would never support a 100-yard exclusion zone around hospital buildings.
As I recall I specifically declined to put any distance on an exclusion zone. Instead I said there should be no 'one-size fits all' approach because hospital grounds vary enormously in size and it should be up to the hospital administrators, not central government, to decide on the exact policy.
As we've read today, the Health and Sport Committee seem to agree with me.
Reader Comments (7)
Reject smoking bans. There is no risk to others from second hand smoke--especially outdoors.
Sadly we won't be getting any help from the ex-smoking vaping community.
Invited to express an opinion on hospital smoking bans, their representative told the Committee, "I would rather not talk about tobacco, to be honest."
Vapers are ex-smokers, and ex-smokers tend to be the most sanctimonious people on earth, so no surprises there.
Well, small consolation that Forest's voice is at least being heard, if not acted upon.
Derriford Hospital in Plymouth has a huge problem with air polluted by vehicle fumes ! They call it a "Smoke Free Site", but air quality will not be comprised more by cigarette smokers. I have written to the Chief Executive in this vein, but rudely received NO response.
Working in a mental health hospital it is obvious that the current ban isn't working and only really gets enforced when someone sufficiently senior is around. It is strongly enforced against staff though.
All that criminalising it is going to do is force patients to smoke where it is not safe to do so. I have already seen a patient stub out a cigarette on the neck of an oxygen cylinder which is something I hope never to see again. There have been more than one fire as a result of people smoking where it was always inappropriate.
All chief executives will most likely ban smoking on all of their their sites. And all but one already treat vaping as smoking...
Who was this supposed vaping community representative? I don't remember electing any person to represent me, a vaper.
Condemning all vapers is doing you no favours at all. The worst way to ask for support is to bash the very people who would be happy to support you in your battle.
Why is there no condemnation of all those smokers that simply roll over and accept yet another draconian and unjustifiable attack ? There are literally millions of them, where are they ? I only ever see the same old people fighting the battle against prohibitions.
Oh well, I wont be bothering to put my voice in protest any more, as a vaper, apparently I'm scum and my efforts to fight smoking bans, and stupid prohibition laws, are not wanted.
Why I will never support vaping or vapers. The hate and bans are coming their way and y'know what? Serves 'em right.
Millions of vapers happily go about their business not knowing about your movement Jude - nor the bans and laws being lined up against them - in the same way that smokers had no clue when the war on them started and even now far too many have no idea which way things are ultimately going.
Honestly, get over yourself and get informed. We have been fighting years and years but you wouldn't know because our voice is always suppressed and now your lot are trying to drown us out even more.
Forest has been around and with smokers fighting since 1979 - it was even founded by a smoker and NOT industry. I wonder how many modern vapers (dummy suckers, I believe Big Tobacco Control calls them) were even born then and how many Ecig industry players are behind this new movement of yours. There's certainly big profit in it and they are not saints, Gods or priests.
Truth is vapers couldn't give a toss about smokers in any other way except how to use them to gain favour for their themselves (or get money out of them by turning them to a new lucrative product) or else your lot wouldn't consonantly be throwing us under the bus to get on it with tobacco control.
Yes, a handful of you see the bigger picture but even then can't resist bashing us and our product of choice to save your own "miracle" product while banging on relentlessly about how we poor pathetic smokers will die, die, die, if any move is made to stop your lot vaping. Bollox. Offensive bollox.
Strange thing though, of my friends who have tried vaping, they've all gone back to smoking as the far superior choice because vaping sucks.
Forest - in case you hadn't noticed, is not a vaper movement. It represents smokers. The clue is in its name. Grow up.