Crack down on patients who smoke on hospital grounds

Re: “Women who smoke even a little risk death,” Dec. 12.

This massive study of more than 100,000 women concluded that even small amounts of smoking doubles a woman’s risk of sudden cardiac death.

Yet Thursday, like most days, two women in wheelchairs were smoking within four metres of the doors to the Tom Baker Cancer Centre. These women are at risk for sudden cardiac arrest, but what about the hundreds who must pass through these doors each day for cancer treatment? Are they not important enough to protect their health status?

Not only are Alberta Health Services’ buildings and premises to be smoke free, Tom Baker must be scent free to protect the patients undergoing therapy. A smoke-free environment has not been met at any adult hospital in Calgary. Why must our cancer patients or any patients and staff be subjected to this intolerable condition?

Recently, Health Minister Fred Horne proclaimed: “We need to focus increasingly on the health status of our citizens.” But that’s not happening. Minister Horne, what measures will you take to stop all smoking on the grounds of Alberta hospitals? What will be your conditions under which in-patient smokers, smoking on the grounds, be assessed for immediate discharge to open much-needed beds? It is a travesty that patients are allowed to smoke on health-care premises and increase Alberta healthcare costs because of their habit.

As a recent cancer patient and retired nurse, I call on Horne to show leadership and correct this issue as soon as possible.

Calgary Herald/files A patient has a cigarette next to a no-smoking sign on a bench outside Peter Lougheed Hospital. Reader says AHS must stop patients from smoking on the premises for the sake of their own and other patients’ health.