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This Policy provides smoking bans at public hospitals and community health centres, and encourages and supports staff and inpatients to quit smoking.
The Policy has three components:
Staff Quit Smoking Program
Queensland Health is committed to supporting staff who wish to change their smoking through the Quit smoking… for life! staff quit smoking program.
The program offers support to staff ready to break the habit. Staff are provided information and support from the Quitline, self-help resources, and nicotine replacement therapy.
Managing nicotine withdrawal for inpatients
Free nicotine replacement therapy (patches and gum) is available for all eligible nicotine dependent inpatients of public hospitals to help address nicotine withdrawal during their hospital stay. Patients are also provided with quit smoking brief intervention which includes referral to Quitline 13 QUIT (13 7848) for information, assessment and counselling.
Smoking restrictions at QH facilities
For the health of staff, patients and visitors, smoking is prohibited inside all Queensland Health facilities, including buildings and motor vehicles. No person may smoke inside any facility controlled by Queensland Health.
In the outdoor areas of Queensland Health facilities, staff, patients and visitors may only smoke in a Nominated Smoking Place.
Under the Health Services Act 1991, an authorised person or security officer may direct a person smoking in a no smoking area to:
An authorised person or security officer may issue a $200 infringement notice (on-the-spot fine) to a person for failing to comply with a direction to stop smoking or moving to a Nominated Smoking Place.
