Smoking Outside Hospital Doors 'Must Be Outlawed'

Holyrood must outlaw smoking outside hospital doors to help change attitudes to tobacco.

That is according to a major anti-smoking charity, which is calling for legislation on smoking within hospital grounds. At the moment, there is no law against it.

However, there are concerns over plans to ban e-cigarettes on hospital grounds, as they may disrupt genuine nicotine withdrawl methods.

The chief executive of ASH Scotland, Sheila Duffy, said:

“Given the devastating harm to health caused by tobacco use, we are keen to encourage smokers to try effective ways of quitting which for some people might include advice, nicotine replacement therapy or e-cigarettes. There is a clear case for hospital grounds to be free from tobacco use, which is always dangerous.

“However, we are concerned that a blanket ban on e-cigarette use could discourage smokers from trying an alternative that might help them to move away from tobacco. A policy to restrict e-cigarette use to designated areas of hospital grounds is something we would support. Hospitals might also choose to draw a distinction between devices which look like cigarettes and some newer vaping devices, which look nothing like a traditional tobacco cigarette and so don’t lead to confusion with smoking."