Man-sized cigarette helps hospital to highlight ‘No Tobacco Day’
Smokers will be challenged if they light up on 20th May at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital as part of the run up to the World Health Organisation’s ‘No Tobacco Day’.
A member of staff will be wearing a cigarette costume for the day and touring the site, accompanied by colleagues, in order to raise awareness of the on-site smoking ban and encouraging people to quit.
Assistant Director of Nursing Dawn Collins said: “We’re taking this opportunity to remind patients, visitors and staff that smoking is not permitted on the hospital site. Smoking is the biggest cause of premature death and disabling illness and hospitals have a duty to reinforce the no smoking message.
“Second hand smoke also creates an unpleasant environment on site and causes breathing difficulties for many patients and staff. With the warmer weather arriving we find that cigarette smoke drifts through open windows into ward areas, clinics and offices.”
World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on May 31. It is meant to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption across the globe. The day is further intended to draw global attention to the widespread prevalence of tobacco use and to negative health effects, which currently lead to 5.4 million deaths worldwide annually. The member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) created World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) in 1987.