Beaumont Became Smoke-Free Campus

Beaumont Hospital will become a tobacco-free campus from tomorrow – 4 July – as the hospital moves to create a healthy, clean and safer environment for patients, staff and visitors. The move to go tobacco free across the campus follows extensive work by a multidisciplinary steering committee and working groups. The policy was designed in response to the ongoing concern about the harmful effects of tobacco use and smoking in a healthcare environment. According to a statement released by Beaumont in advance of the change, "the HSE Corporate Plan (2008-2011) recognizes the need for a shift towards prevention and better self care in respect of tobacco. Research and experience shows that this requires ongoing health awareness, illness prevention and health promotion initiatives as well as population health strategies. "The Tobacco-Free steering committee chaired by Professor Gerry McElvaney, director of the Respiratory Research Laboratory RCSI/Beaumont Hospital and supported by Beaumont CEO Liam Duffy and the senior management team, have developed this policy in response to the HSE Corporate Plan as a measure to protect Beaumont Hospital site users from the dangers associated with smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke." Commenting on the launch, Liam Duffy, CEO Beaumont said: "As a major health service provider and hospital, it is our obligation to provide a safe environment for our patients, staff and visitors. The transition to a smoke-free campus is one that Beaumont feels is a necessary and natural step in continuing to provision of safe and effective health care. “We have been working with the steering committee and staff over a number of months to ensure that the transition will be seamless and have found great support from all involved for preparation of the launch of Beaumont Hospital as a tobacco-free campus." Prof. Gerry McElvaney, chair of the Tobacco Free Steering Committee, also said: "This is a positive step for Beaumont Hospital. The rationale for the move is very simple: smoking is the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death and there is a growing recognition throughout the developed world that allowing smoking on healthcare campuses significantly undermines the health promotion message of healthcare organisations."