the essential
On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day on May 31, Rangueil Hospital (Toulouse University Hospital) officially becomes a “Tobacco-free health center”. Smoking is already prohibited in a hospital, so what does this term mean?
World No Tobacco Day takes on an additional dimension this Friday, May 31 at Rangueil Hospital (Toulouse University Hospital). The establishment officially becomes a “tobacco-free health place”, that is to say a place where smoking is prohibited inside and outside… Which must already be the case according to the law of the 1st February 2007. So simple display of intention?
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“We are going beyond the ban with a charter which will be re-evaluated every year. We are in a global approach which aims to offer a healthy environment for all, to denormalize smoking and to facilitate access to cessation. Time of the hospital is a time without tobacco, like when you take the plane for several hours”, summarizes Sébastien Fleury, midwife and tobacco specialist at the Toulouse University Hospital, leader of the “Tobacco-free health place” project which benefits from funding of 330,000 euros from the Regional Health Agency (ARS Occitanie) for two and a half years.
“Smoking tolerance” places but temporary
“We could remove the ashtrays outside, put up large prohibition signs, but this would be badly received by the staff and users of the hospital. We are banking on training, so that the nursing staff can talk about tobacco, identify needs and can offer help, in particular access to nicotine substitutes which are a right. The budget for this call for projects allows for training, communication and the purchase of CO (carbon monoxide) testers. carbon), to put in place specific signage, to offer smoking cessation consultations to hospital staff during their working hours. We believe that the collective effort will pay off so that the absence of tobacco comes into play. in morals”, further specifies Sébastien Fleury.
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The law prohibits the establishment of smoking areas, the Rangueil hospital site will therefore be equipped with areas called “smoking tolerance” which are currently being identified. “The idea is that these spaces are far from the surrounding areas and isolated, a bit like bus shelters, and that they are temporary. In a 100% tobacco-free hospital, they could, for example, become shelters for bicycles,” explains the project leader.
Purpan and Larrey, next objectives
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After Rangueil, the approach will be extended to the Larrey and Purpan sites. “We have almost finished identifying the spaces of tolerance in these two places, to propose coherent overall signage,” concludes Sébastien Fleury.
