From 01 May 2009, Health Directorate is Smoke free. See the information below for our healthcare consumers and visitors.
The Health Directorate is dedicated to protecting healthcare consumers, visitors and staff from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke.
Smoking is not allowed at any Health Directorate facility, except in a designated outdoor smoking area.
In this section:
Health Directorate facilities are smoke-free from 1 May, 2009.
Smoking is only allowed in a designated outdoor smoking area. Staff will inform you where these are located.
Over the last fifty years, more than 700,000 Australians are estimated to have died prematurely due to tobacco use. Smoking is known to cause many diseases both to smokers and non-smokers.
Please support us in creating a smoke-free environment, which is better for everyone's health.
| Download: | Health Directorate smoke-free brochure (PDF File - 137k) |
Smoke-free map - Canberra Hospital
Patients and visitors
At all Health Directorate facilities, visitors must refrain from smoking or smoke only in designated outdoor smoking areas. Staff will inform you where these are located.
If you're a patient coming into hospital and you smoke, take up our offer of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to help you not to smoke during your hospital stay. This will reduce any withdrawal symptoms such as cravings, irritability and anxiety.
You may be asked questions about your smoking such as:
- How many cigarettes per day do you smoke?
- How soon after waking do you have a cigarette?
- Have you tried quitting recently or do you want to quit in the near future?
This will help staff understand your level of nicotine dependence and whether you are likely to experience nicotine withdrawal when you stop smoking.
Nicotine dependence
Good indications of nicotine dependence are:
- smoking within 30 minutes of waking
- smoking more than 15 cigarettes a day
- previous unsuccessful attempts to quit.
If you're assessed as nicotine dependent and your medical condition allows NRT, then you will be offered nicotine patches or gum for use during your hospital stay.
Nicotine replacement therapy
There may be medical reasons for not being offered nicotine replacement therapy including:
- you are allergic to nicotine
- you have recently had a stroke
- you have recently had a heart attack or have angina
- you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Interested in stopping smoking?
You'll start to notice many benefits when you stop smoking. For a start, your body will begin to recover from the harmful effects caused by smoking. Other benefits include improved fitness, having the extra money you would normally spend on cigarettes, and having improved sense of taste and smell.
Support and practical help is available if you wish to quit smoking. Call Quitline 13 QUIT (13 7848).
Further information
Call 13 QUIT for information on quitting.
