11 February, 2008

South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Health is butting out – for good!

On 1 March, 2008 South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Health (SESIH) will go smoke free.

This means that smoking will be banned completely from all indoor and outdoor areas, including carparks, across every hospital, community health centre and office location. Designated smoking areas will also be removed.

SESIH Chief Executive Terry Clout said the move would send a strong message to staff, visitors, patients and contractors that the organisation’s priority was to protect people’s health.

“The initiative is important because it protects staff, patients and visitors – the vast majority of who do not smoke – from the harmful effects of environmental tobacco smoke (passive smoking).”

“Let’s be very clear – smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in Australia. We cannot say this too loudly or too strongly and we want to send a clear message that people should not smoke.”

Steve Towarnicki, Chair of the Area Smoke Free Workplace Policy Implementation Group Chair, SESIH, explains how the ban will also help hospital patients and visitors.

“Hospital staff will have access to Quitline referral forms and fact sheets for hospitalised patients to allow them to provide quit smoking or nicotine dependence management advice,” he said.

“We will also be encouraging all smokers to call the Quitline on Ph: 137 848.”

Evidence from other smoke free workplaces shows that employees are more likely to quit or at least reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke – something that Mr Clout would like to see happening across the Area.

“We understand that smoking is a personal choice but, as health care facilities, we want to support our staff by making the healthier choice the easier one. Nicotine replacement therapy and QUIT support services will also be available to staff,” Mr Clout said.

It should be noted that the majority of successful quitters quit by going cold turkey, however, for those experiencing difficulties, NRT can double their success rate.

Smoking causes more than 19,000 premature deaths amongst Australians per year and around 50 Australians die every day from smoking-related illnesses – this is more than the combined total killed by alcohol, illegal drugs, murder, suicide and road crashes. It is also estimated that 140 Australians die each year from lung cancer caused by breathing other people's smoke.

For further information about the NSW Health Smoke Free Workplace Policy, please visit
http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/policies/PD/2005/PD2005_375.html

For more information please contact
Ian McManus, SESIAHS Corporate Communications Manager, on 9382 7623