A HOSPITAL IN Sligo will become the latest to ban smoking on its premises next month.

St. John’s Community Hospital will introduce a smoke free policy on campus from the 1st of December, which means that patients and staff will no longer be able to smoke anywhere at the hospital.

Marie O’Grady, Acting Director of Nursing at the hospital, said in a statement that health gains from quitting smoking are ‘indisputable’, and that it greatly improves a patient’s recovery.

“As a local provider of health care in the community, St. John’s Community Hospital is taking its responsibility around health promotion and illness prevention very seriously,” she continued.

“Hospitals and health systems, both nationally and internationally, are working to encourage patients to adopt healthier tobacco-free lifestyles in order to decrease the incidence of smoking related disease.”

Those who smoke and are admitted to the Rehabilitation Unit at the hospital will offered free therapy to quit smoking, and can be referred to smoking cessation supports.

Exceptions to the rule will be allowed in line with the HSE policy, in cases of “where the risk would be disproportionate to any benefit achieved by prohibiting smoking“.

The HSE aims to introduce a Smoke Free Campus Policy to all health campuses by 2015, and it was introduced to three Dublin maternity hospitals earlier this month.

Those who wish to stop smoking can find more information on www.quit.ie.

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