NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the biggest health board in Scotland, has granted permission for people to use electronic cigarettes in the grounds of their hospitals. The decision to permit this was made in December, and e-cigs can be used in these locations from 19th April onwards.
The position on using e-cigarettes in NHS hospital grounds varies depending on where you are in Scotland. Tobacco smoking has a blanket ban, but health boards are allowed to make their own decisions on whether to permit vapers to use their devices on health grounds or not. NHS Lothian was the first Scottish board to allow their use, with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde becoming the second.
The Direct of Public Health at this NHS health board, Dr Emilia Crighton, said the percentage of smokers has fallen from 37.5% to just 25% across the last 10-year period. She said the decision to allow electronic cigarettes to be used on their grounds gives “patients, staff and visitors more choice in how they quit smoking.” She also believes vaping can help reduce the number of smokers still further over the coming years.
Since the consequences of smoking bring many patients into hospitals requiring treatment, sometimes over the course of many years, it makes sense to encourage vaping if it has the potential to bring down the number of smokers in Scotland (and elsewhere). It will be interesting to see whether other NHS trusts and health boards take similar decisions, in Scotland at least.
What are your thoughts on the lifting of the ban on vaping at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde? Would you be tempted to switch to vaping if you haven’t already done so? If so, would you vape at these sites if you had the chance?
