Smoking in hospital: a survey of attitudes of staff, patients, and visitors.
A survey was carried out on attitudes to smoking in hospital. Analysis of 411 interviews showed that the majority (64%) of those questioned approved of some restrictions on patients smoking in the wards. Eighteen per cent would have liked to see a complete ban on smoking, while an identical number favoured no restrictions at all. Smoking habit influenced response; only 8% of smokers, compared with 25% of non-smokers, would have liked to see a total ban on smoking. Attitudes to smoking varied according to the status of the persons interviewed; only 6% of visitors and 7% of nurses approved of a complete ban on smoking, compared with 32% of medical students and 27% of doctors. The results suggest that the introduction of smoking and non-smoking areas in hospital wards would be approved by the majority of patients, staff, and visitors.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D010361:Patients; D012907:Smoking; D014789:Visitors to Patients