Smoking banned at Chichester mental health unit

The Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said the decision to make The Oaklands Centre in Chichester and its other centres in Sussex smoke free would create ‘a healthier environment for everyone’.

The trust says that people with mental health issues are more likely to smoke, and to smoke more heavily than other people and this is one of the main reasons that they tend to have poorer physical health and lower life expectancy.

It added that the smoke from tobacco also reduces the effectiveness of some types of medication, meaning larger doses are required compared to those needed by a non-smoker.

From Wednesday (March 8) staff, patients, carers and visitors will be banned from smoking anywhere on site, including in doorways, grounds and car parks.

This includes electronic cigarettes, with the exception of inpatient wards where patients will be allowed to use disposable e-cigarettes.

Diane Hull, executive director of nursing and patient experience at Sussex Partnership, said: “Smoking is the leading cause of premature death in the UK, and two out of every five cigarettes are smoked by someone with a mental health condition.

“Most of the reduction in life expectancy among people with serious mental illness is attributable to smoking.

“We have a responsibility to support our patients’ physical health as well as their mental health and going smoke free is a big part of helping us to do this.”

For further information visit www.sussexpartnership.nhs.uk/smokefree

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