Hospital backs No Smoking Day

Information and advice on quitting smoking will be available to patients, staff and visitors in the main restaurant at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital during No Smoking Day on Wednesday 10th March.

The hospital is also taking the opportunity to remind the public that smoking is not permitted on the site, including the hospital grounds.  A survey will be running on the homepage of the hospital website at www.nnuh.nhs.uk until the end of March to gather views from patients, visitors and staff.  
 
Assistant Director of Nursing Dawn Collins said:  “People continue to smoke on the NNUH site despite the fact that it is not allowed under our smoke free policy.  This creates an unpleasant environment for patients and costs the Trust about £50,000 a year in extra costs for cleaning and repairs to the grounds. 

“Over the next three months we will be reminding patients, staff and visitors about the smoking ban and helping people to quit.”

Norfolk’s Stop Smoking Service can provide people with free advice and support for anyone wanting to break free from smoking.  Telephone 0800 0854 113 or get more information at www.cignificant.co.uk

  Facts on smoking: 
• Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals in the form of particles and gases, over 50 of which are known to be cancer-causing
• Smoking is the single greatest cause of preventable illness and early death in the UK, and leads to heart disease, stroke and cancer
• More than 120,000 people in the UK die from smoking-related illnesses each year.
• 70% of smokers say that they want to give up (Office of National Statistics).