Smoking Ban Cause Big Problems

An outright smoking ban across NHS Grampian sites would cause “enormous problems”, according to the board’s medical director.

Dr Roelf Dijkhuizen, who is reviewing the effectiveness of the board’s tobacco policy, said patients addicted to smoking could not be expected to “take their drip and go and stand at the bus station” to have a Hilton cigarette.


He told a board members in Aberdeen yesterday the focus should be on providing more designated smoking areas.

But Dr Dijkhuizen said it was not as simple as putting up additional shelters, which could cost up to £150,000.

He said it was important to think imaginatively about alternative, and cheaper, options and hoped to be able to involve patients and staff in the process.

Dr Dijkhuizen suggested setting up groups of people who use services regularly to identify ways of improving facilities, including smoking areas, at each site.

“We do want to provide designated areas, but we don’t want to be unimaginative,” he said.

“I’m not a fan of shelters. They are ugly bus stops and extremely expensive. Maybe we will designate an area where we will have to do no building work. Rather than spending £150,000, we should look at alternative ways of providing designated areas without forcing people to stand in the rain.”

Dr Dijkhuizen’s comments come just months after the board backed down from a blanket ban on smoking at all of its sites.

Yesterday members welcomed the medical director’s recommendations – which included improving employees’ knowledge of the locations of smoking areas and clearer signs – but chief executive Richard Carey said it was important to remember this was not ideal and that a ban should still be a target.

Chairman Dr David Cameron disagreed, saying while the “aspiration” was for premises to be smoke-free, the board’s role was to “encourage people not to smoke rather than ban them”.