6 replies to this topic

[kalioon]

"Revision of smoking policy to include e-cigarettes

Published: Wednesday 23 May 2012

NHS Fife has revised its smoking policy to include e-cigarettes and electronic nicotine delivery systems which claim to provide an alternative to traditional smoking.

NHS Fife has a duty to provide a safe environment for all patients, visitors and staff, and following investigation, our Senior Fire Advisor has identified a number of potential risks with these products. The decision has been taken to ban the use of these products on all NHS Fife sites until new safety information emerges.

NHS Fife does not use e-cigarettes as part of their smoking cessation aids, and will await safety reports published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) before reviewing this policy.

The British Medical Association (BMA) Board of Science has confirmed that e-cigarettes are unregulated, and there is no peer-reviewed evidence to prove they are a safe and effective nicotine replacement therapy. Using e-cigarettes may undermine smoking prevention and cessation by reinforcing the normality of using cigarettes in public and the workplace."

It would seem they have banned e cigs due a fire risk!! Im sure the phone and laptop ban is incoming.

[grizewald]

The last sentence there is the kicker.

We want all smokers, even e-smokers to feel like pariahs.

Polite words fail me...

[todd]

Surprised....No!

Most of the hospitals in Fife still don't have running water and electricity anyway

[UsMerseyMumUK]

This falls in line with the NHS vehemently opposing ecigs because they are NOT an NRT. Fire risk? Where?

[Stevethesax]

What's interesting is that they've chosen the 'fire risk' approach.
The last couple of paragraphs is just blather...

Why is that interesting? We'll, they're health professionals (one assumes) and you'd think they go for the "We don't know if they're good or bad for you yet - but in the meantime we're going to err on the side of caution".
Now that would be a reasonable statement - you could certainly argue with it, but at least it would be honest. Instead they went for the old H&S line. I wonder what the 'number of potential risks' entails?

Cheers,

Steve

[flubaluba]

So instead of letting people make there own mind up about what they want to do they are restricting something that could help with there health. Makes sense as if people stop having to go to the hospital for cigarette related illnesses they will lose a large percentage of there patients and therefore there financing.
When the WHO decided on how to react to ecigs it will be about money, nothing else, if it was about anything else they would have released a report years ago when ecigs became more commonplace and they did a few simple tests on what was inhaled and what was exhaled.

Rant deleted

[Klinux]

No one takes any notice of these silly policies anyway to be honest, all smoking bans have done is force smokers into corners making the risk of fire's more likely and the hospital far more unsafe, the one dimensional thinking doesn't seem to realise that smokers in the open can be seen, smokers hidden away can't and any subsequent fire's caused by un-extinguished stinkies particularily since most smokers always seem to choose places near fire risks like rubbish bags.

As for E-cigs, toasters in the hands of nurses pose a greater threat than e-cigs ever could.

Edited by Klinux, Today, 01:01 PM.