Staff smoking bans in nearly half of Finnish hospital districts in 2005

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Nearly half of the hospital districts of Finland’s public health system will have bans on smoking by staff during working hours  from the beginning of next year. At present six out of Finland’s 20 hospital districts are smoke-free work places.
      The North Karelia Hospital District plans to impose a smoking ban from the beginning of November, and the Kymenlaakso Hospital District will do the same at the beginning of next year.
      It has been predicted that within a few years hospital staff will be allowed to smoke only in four hospital districts.
      "We are looking at what kinds of experiences others have from banning smoking, and we are ready to follow in short order", says Olli Wanne, head physician of the Satakunta Hospital District.
     
Enforcement of the smoking bans is not systematic in any of the hospital districts. In most of the hospitals it is the responsibility of the supervisor, and violators are cautioned at worst.
      At the Itä-Savo Hospital District, head physician Tapio Väyrynen admits that not all employees observe the ban which took effect at the beginning of this year.
      "At one time, staff would go to the pathology department to smoke. However, that was quickly found out. Nevertheless, clandestine smoking still takes place."
      Väyrynen says that there will be no special efforts to catch violators, as the purpose of the ban is simply to serve as an incentive to help people kick the habit.
      In nearly all hospitals where there is a ban on smoking by staff, employees are offered free nicotine replacement treatment.
     
Four hospital districts have no immediate plans for a smoking ban, but discussions are being held. The Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS) is the only one where the issue has not been discussed.
      Information officer Riitta Lehtonen says that the idea would not work at HUS.
      "It would do more harm than good. We prefer to give information and focus on health education", Lehtonen says.
     
Three main reasons have been given for the ban on smoking by hospital staff.
      The main reason is the damage to health caused by smoking. The second is the idea that hospital staff should show a good example to patients, and the third is monetary: smoking breaks cut into working hours.
     
The South Karelia Hospital District is the only one to extend the ban on smoking to patients and visitors. The whole hospital area is smoke-free with the exception of one smoking area which is accessible only to psychiatric patients, those with serious illnesses, and visitors.
      The North Karelia Hospital District plans to follow suit and impose a ban on smoking by patients and visitors.
      Antti Turunen, head physician of the North Karelia Hospital District, notes that four out of five patients responding to a questionnaire were in favour of such a ban.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Health organisations demand smoke-free restaurants (4.6.2004)
  Finnish teenagers drinking less, and taking more negative view of smoking (28.5.2004)
  Finland and Britain lead world in reduction of smoking deaths (6.8.2003)

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