title: The impact of opening a smoking room on psychiatric inpatient behavior following implementation of a hospital-wide smoking ban.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psychiatric patients are significantly more likely to smoke than mentally healthy persons, presenting a challenge for inpatient psychiatric care when smoking bans are instituted.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the impact of opening a smoking room within a psychiatric unit following a hospital smoking ban.
  
  
  METHODS
  A staff survey and a chart review of 180 inpatient admissions before and after the opening of a smoking room.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patient records revealed no significant differences between recorded indices of disruptive patient behavior before or after the smoking room opening. The staff survey identified a perceived beneficial impact on unit atmosphere, where less time was spent discussing smoking privileges and off-unit privileges were granted more appropriately.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implementation of a smoking room failed to reduce indices of disruptive patient behavior. Despite the absence of objective evidence, the attitude among staff was in support of allowing patients to smoke on the unit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crockford
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kerfoot
authors.forename: Shawn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Currie