16th March 2022
The Southern Trust is celebrating six years smoke free with a reminder that we can all share clean air.
To coincide with the six-year smoke free anniversary, we have launched new animations, which promote both our stop smoking service and our Smoke Free sites policy and have updated the Smoke Free page on the Southern Trust website.
The Trust’s policy of being ‘Smoke Free’ means that smoking or using e-cigarettes is not acceptable anywhere on Southern Trust sites, including buildings, entrances, exits, grounds, car parks and all vehicles. There are no longer any smoking shelters and smoking is not permitted in cars parked on Trust grounds. This applies to everyone using Southern Trust facilities and services.
The purpose of the Smoke Free Policy is to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of patients, staff and visitors by:
- Assisting patients and staff who wish to stop smoking
- Setting an example of best practice
- Providing a healthy environment
Respiratory Consultant at Craigavon Area Hospital, Diarmuid McNicholl said: Every member of staff working across the Southern Trust can make a difference and has a role to play in helping smokers quit and keeping our Trust smoke free. Most importantly, this has a direct link to both short term and long-term health and health care outcomes. It is important we make every contact count and together we can make a difference in creating a smoke free future”.
Gerard Rocks Assistant Director for the Promoting Wellbeing Division added:,
“Smoking is still one of the largest preventable causes of ill health so it is right that hospitals, as health promoting environments, should prevent smoking on their sites. This approach improves and protects the health of all patients, visitors and staff by supporting people who smoke to quit. It also protects everyone from the harm from second hand smoke. It is a tremendous achievement for a trust to go smoke free and it can only have a positive impact on improving the health of our communities and the health of our staff and service users whilst on Trust sites”.
Our goal is to improve the health and wellbeing of everyone we care for and, by making sure that our NHS services are smoke-free, we benefit the health of people who use our services as well as the health of the people who work for us.
Stopping Smoking is the best health improvement decision any smoker can make in their life. To find out more, or to get in touch with the Stop Smoking Service in the Health Improvement Team, please call T: 028 3756 4400
E: stopsmoking@southerntrust.hscni.net or visit our dedicated webpage HERE.