NO SMOKING

By now, despite persistent grumbling from a handful of committed smokers, most people have accepted that smoking in public areas has become socially unacceptable.

Yes, there are still hard-core smokers standing beneath the No Smoking signs at the Mall, puffing away. There are those who light up immediately upon crossing the threshold, not willing to walk a further few steps to the vehicles before lighting-up.

But overall, the public seems to have accepted the new reality of restrictions on smoking.

While I do have compassion for the smokers, I cannot envision any easing of these restrictions, with one exception.

HOSPITALS

No, not inside hospitals. But the complete ban on smoking on hospital property does cause a distinct hardship on patients who smoke.

I’m not as concerned about staff and visitors, although I will admit that expecting them to trek to the edge of the hospital property is somewhat absurd.

I do not see why an outdoor Smoking Area -- and given the size of the SAH, a few of these – cannot be established.

Lakehead University had numerous Smoking Areas on their property, located in the parking lot, directly opposite (usually 50 to 100 feet away from) the nearest exit to the parking lot.

The area was well marked and signed, and delineated with concrete Jersey barriers.

Yes, there were those who sparked-up at the door and walked to the smoking area. Non-smokers found these people a bit of a nuisance, but far less so than when people would gather in front of the doorway, forcing non-smokers to walk through a cloud of cigarette smoke.

Establishing Smoking Areas at the SAH – and indeed, at all hospitals in the province – would give smokers, whether patients, staff or visitors, specific areas where they would be permitted to light-up.

Non-smokers would be able to avoid these areas, and the doorways would be free of the aforementioned clouds of tobacco smoke.

Perhaps a small structure, like an oversized bus shelter (as shown, below), can be erected so that smokers can have some measure of protection from the elements, too.

Smokers would not have to walk ridiculous distances to stand “in the bush,” or all the way to Great Northern or Third Line, just to have a cigarette.

Perhaps a small structure, like an oversized bus shelter, can be erected so that smokers can have some measure of protection from the elements, too.

As reported on SooToday and in other media today, the Canadian Medical Association Journal questions whether such absolute policies adequately take into account the well-being of smokers.

"Our findings suggest that the use of tobacco continues to be framed as a habit or personal choice rather than as an addiction,” write the authors. “Like other researchers, we have found that when tobacco use is framed as a habit, health-care providers are perplexed as to why people continue to smoke when faced with health concerns and restrictions, and consider such people to not be taking responsibility for their health."

The issue also raises safety and medical concerns: patients have been locked out of the building, and have been absent from their wards when staff were scheduled to administer medications and other treatments.

I have no trouble acknowledging that many – likely most – smokers are addicted. While some smokers have been able to quit, either “cold turkey” or by means of a gradual weaning from nicotine, many more have tried and failed numerous times to rid themselves of this “nasty habit.”

Again, I support non-smoking initiatives in public spaces. Given the health concerns, it only makes sense.

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Note: I will admit that I am a non-smoker, but also a former smoker. I don’t believe I was ever addicted, although I did quit twice. I have absolutely no explanation for ever having started smoking, and far less explanation for re-starting after I had quit the first time, especially having watched the hell my mother went through quitting after smoking for 35 years.

I now find the smell of cigarette smoke repulsive, and I certainly avoid being around those who smoke, and if this is not possible I make sure I stand upwind of any smokers.

Having said that, and as I state in this article, I understand that some people will continue to smoke, and that is their decision; it may even be their “right.”

However, I do not believe that anyone’s “right” to smoke trumps a non-smokers “right” to a smoke-free environment.

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If people wish to continue smoking, or find it difficult to quit, then society needs to consider their needs -- not by reinstating smoking generally, but by permitting them appropriate locations to do so without having to furtively sneak around, dodging from public view and the ever-seeing eyes of security cameras.

As with many issues facing society, compromise is surely a better approach than a complete and draconian ban on smoking out-of-doors on hospital grounds and other public property.


But… that’s just my opinion.