Hospital seeks to ban smoking outside building

THE head of one of Cork’s biggest hospitals wants new bylaws to ban smoking in the public areas outside the facility.

Pat Madden, chief executive of the Mercy University Hospital in Cork, has written to city manager Tim Lucey asking him to consider the move to in the interest of people’s health and to protect the ethos of the smoke-free building.

Mr Madden said the hospital’s executive management board has “major concern” about the use by smokers of the public footpaths and streets around the hospital.

“Mercy University Hospital is a smoke free hospital and as a result smoking is not permitted on the hospital campus,” Mr Madden said.

“However, as the area immediately adjacent to the hospital is comprised of public footpaths and roads, we are unable to enforce any ban on smoking in those areas.

“Since the abolition of indoor smoking following legislation, we are concerned that the highly visible action of smoking outside the hospital gives the impression that it is a normal and acceptable activity.

“Smoking is not in keeping with the ethos of Mercy University Hospital and our non-smoking patients, visitors and staff, deserve smoke free and litter free areas surrounding the hospital entrances.

“We write asking for consideration to the making of a bylaw that would ban smoking within an external area of the hospital (for example, 10 metres of hospital premises).”

The issue has also been raised with city councillors who are set to examine the bylaws request over the coming weeks.

However, Cllr John Buttimer (Fine Gael) said while most are sympathetic to the hospital’s view and supportive of its smoke-free status, enforcement of such laws would be almost impossible.

“There is no law against smoking in public and we have to be realistic about what we can do.

“Perhaps the hospital should consider providing an area for smokers and then target them with anti-smoking campaigns.”

It is the second time that a major Cork hospital has raised concerns about smoking on or near its smoke-free campus.

Last September, staff at Cork University Hospital (CUH) were criticised for smoking in nearby residential estates.

The problem arose after CUH became the first hospital outside Dublin to declare itself a smoke-free zone last May, forcing hospital workers to smoke in nearby housing estates.

It led to complaints from local public representatives at a Southern Regional Health Forum meeting.

CUH chief executive, Tony McNamara, then wrote to staff warning them that they should not wear their uniforms while smoking in public.

The HSE has refused to provide dedicated sheltered smoking zones on the CUH campus given its smoke-free status, and its designation as cancer centre.

In January 2009, St Vincent’s in Dublin became the first Irish hospital to introduce a smoke-free campus policy, followed by Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown in May 2009. The Mater Hospital is also a smoke-free campus.