Hospital smoking policies: examples of good practice?

Health services should be taking a lead in implementing smoking policies which promote smoke-free environments for patients, visitors and staff, and ensure that patients and staff are provided with information and advice about smoking and how to give it up. Yet the evidence suggests that the implementation of such policies is patchy, particularly in countries where there are high smoking rates amongst health workers, including doctors. This article discusses, in the light of experience from Spain and the UK, some of the factors which are important in determining the success of such programmes. It is argued that such programmes will be of benefit to the future health of both patients and staff.