Health and care staff, patients, service users and members of the public are being reminded that Department of Health and Social Care sites around the Island will become smoke free from 1 April 2021.
The policy, which will be adopted by Manx Care, aims to foster healthy and safe environments for all and prevent avoidable smoking-related ill-health by encouraging people to quit smoking. In the first stage of the rollout, smoking will no longer be permitted on any hospital site, at healthcare facilities on Westmoreland Road in Douglas and the DHSC’s Crookall House headquarters. GP practices are also joining the smoke-free movement, and will not allow smoking on their grounds from 1 April.
DHSC and Manx Care are committed to ensuring all who work in, visit or receive treatment or care at their facilities, are aware of the change from 1 April – the date Manx Care ‘goes live’ as the Island’s health and care delivery body. Promotional leaflets, posters and social media publicity have focused on the health benefits to individuals and the wider community of going smoke free, and the crucial role both organisations play in leading the way.
Promotion of the smoke-free policy among staff groups, third sector partners and a number of external stakeholders has been underway in recent months, with updates on implementation plans shared in newsletters, information sessions and informal drop-ins. Alongside this, staff and patients who would like to give up smoking have been invited to take up smoking cessation programmes and offered extensive encouragement by the free, specialist Stop Smoking service Quit4You
Health and Social Care Minister David Ashford said:
‘The vast majority of those who visit or work in our facilities will welcome the move to prevent smoking on our premises. There are obvious benefits both for individuals and the health service, and this gives us the opportunity to promote the message that it is never too late to give up. With less than two months to go until the policy is implemented, smokers have a clear incentive to make use of our stop smoking service.
He added:
‘We have no desire to stigmatise smokers. The policy has been designed to create smoke free spaces and encourage a future smoke free generation. We want our children to grow up in a world where it is not normal to start smoking and so DHSC and Manx Care are proud to be smoke free.’
In the next stage of the rollout from 1 October 2021 all other premises operated by DHSC and Manx Care will become smoke free if they aren’t already, with the exception of residential facilities, including Reayrt-ny-Baie, Southlands and Cummal Mooar. April1 2022 will see the remaining residential premises become completely smoke free, including nursing and care homes and supported living premises.
When the policy is implemented, smoking will not be permitted anywhere on DHSC and Manx Care grounds. Vaping will be permitted but will be restricted to designated areas.
