Residential, care and supported living premises will ban smoking from 1 April, making all Department of Health and Social Care and Manx Care sites smoke free.
This is the final stage of introducing the smoke free policy, and means that smoking will no longer be permitted anywhere on Department or Manx Care grounds.
The policy supports the Public Health initiative to provide healthy and safe environments for all, as well as helping to prevent avoidable smoking-related ill-health by encouraging people to quit smoking.
It is also a key milestone in the Smoke Free Isle of Man 2030 ambition; to reduce the number of people smoking to under 5% of our Island population.
From 1 April smoking will not be permitted anywhere on Health and Social care grounds. Vaping will only be permitted in outdoor areas away from doorways, open windows and anywhere that may cause nuisance to others.
This will apply to all staff, visitors, patients and residents at all sites.
In the first stage of the rollout, all hospital sites, healthcare facilities on Westmoreland Road in Douglas, Crookall House and all GP practices became completely smoke free on 1 April 2021.
The second phase saw all Department and Manx Care workplaces not covered in phase 1, with the exception of residential facilities, become smoke free on 1 October 2021.
The Department and Manx Care have been working with staff, third sector partners and external stakeholders to communicate the various stages of the policy’s implementation, ensuring everyone is kept up-to-date with progress. Help is available for staff and patients who would like to give up smoking or discuss options for temporarily abstaining, from the Island’s free specialist stop smoking service Quit4You.
Health and Social Care Minister Lawrie Hooper MHK said ‘From Public Health’s 2019 lifestyle survey we know that smoking on Island is now down to 12%, with 57% of smokers saying they would like to quit smoking for good. The overall aim is not to stigmatise smokers but instead establish smoke free spaces for everyone to benefit from and to de-normalise smoking to prevent future generations from starting. I am looking forward to a completely smoke free health and social care service and I am proud of what we have achieved.’
For more information and to view the policy, visit www.gov.im/smokefreeiom
