AS a Stop Smoking Specialist working for Bury Health Promotion Team up at Fairfield Hospital, I felt I must comment on the article in last Thursday's Bury Times concerning the new policy ('Smokers ignore the hospital ban', January 5).

First of all, we have to ask ourselves what message does it give to youngsters, visitors from other countries or the public in general if we allow huddles of smokers to man the entrances to our hospitals, sometimes clearly still in-patients under our care?

Is this the kind of hospital 'care' that we are willing to promote?

Isn't it about time that we took a stance on this issue and made it clear that we neither condone nor accommodate smokers on the premises of our hospital?

Aside from the obvious health and safety issues, there is also the moral issue: every year more than 100,000 people die in Britain from smoking-related disease. That's equivalent to a Lockerbie disaster every day.

In addition, 450 children each day in this country are enlisted as new addicts.

If you have any social values at all, then you will realise that condoning smoking at our hospitals is no longer socially conscionable. During November and December, we conducted various Roadshows' on and off site, promoting the change to Smoke Free status at the hospital.

The proposed policy was well-received, by smokers and non-smokers alike.

Of course some smokers are worried about how they will cope with the new policy but smokers who visit, work or become in-patients at the hospital are not without some form of support. There are now two drop-in clinics available on-site at the hospital, one for the public and one for the staff.

Ward Staff are trained to assess in-patients for smoking cessation support and all staff will receive further training throughout the year to support the policy.

Also, all signage relating to the policy clearly signposts the telephone number for support through the local Stop Smoking Service.

The good news is that since the policy came into force, I have personally signed up a dozen members of staff for Nicotine Replacement Therapy and one-to-one support.

Enquiries from the public are also on the increase and many calls have been directly attributable to the banners and signs up at Fairfield.

All in all, this is a significant and necessary change which, much like the seat-belt law, may initially take some time to bed-in' but we are prepared for that.

This is why we at Fairfield have gone ahead with the policy in advance of the legislation which is not due until November this year.

We should be proud that our town and our hospital are prepared to lead the way.

Of course there will be teething problems, but we have a dedicated support group, excellent staff and support from the union to ensure that over the next few months the vision of a smoke-free hospital becomes a reality.

If you require any help with stopping smoking, please contact the Bury Stop Smoking Service for free advice and support on 0845 2239001.

DAMIAN EDWARDS

Lead Stop Smoking Specialist for Fairfield Hospital

Bury Stop Smoking Service

The Rock, Bury