Smoking ban on way for Portiuncula Hospital grounds

The HSE has confirmed that it is working towards implementing a full smoking ban in all of its hospitals in the Western region including Portiuncula in Ballinasloe by 2015. It follows the introduction of a smoke free policy at University Hospital Galway and Merlin Park University Hospital last Wednesday to coincide with National No Smoking Day. The new policy means that patients, visitors or staff at both health facilities cannot smoke anywhere on the hospital grounds, which covers the entrances, doorways, walkways, internal roads, bus shelters, car parks, cars and bicycle shelters. When queried by the Westmeath Independent for a timeframe for introduction of the smoking ban in Ballinasloe, a spokeperson for the HSE West simply said Portiuncula Hospital Ballinasloe is working towards the implementation of a smoke free campus. The deadline given nationally is December 2015. The spokesperson was unable to confirm whether a smoking room or facility will provided elsewhere for smokers. Commenting on the introduction of the smoking ban last week, Dr Paul Donnellan, Consultant Medical Oncologist, GUH said that lung cancer is the commonest cause of cancer death in men and women. "In fact lung cancer kills more people than do the next three common cancers combined. Yet lung cancer is almost entirely preventable." About 1650 people in Ireland die from lung cancer every year, he said, adding smoking cigarettes is by far the biggest risk factor and is responsible for 90% of cases. The HSE said they will grant exemptions to the policy for patients in certain circumstances with the input from their consultant. "In this way we may make exceptions for the most vulnerable patients while also encouraging all other patients to adopt healthier tobacco-free lifestyles in order to decrease the incidence of smoking related disease," according to Tony Canavan, Chief Operating Officer of the Galway, Roscommon Hospital Group.