Observation of the extent of smoking in a mental health inpatient facility with a smoke-free policy
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Date
2014-03
Authors
Wye, Paula
Gow, Leanne Beth
Constable, Jude
Bowman, Jenny
Lawn, Sharon Joy
Wiggers, John
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BioMed Central
Rights
© 2014 Wye et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
Rights Holder
Wye et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
Abstract
Background
People with a mental illness experience a higher burden of smoking-related disease. Smoke-free policies in mental health facilities provide an opportunity to reduce smoking-related harms for patients and staff alike. Limited evidence regarding the effect of such policies on preventing smoking in mental health facilities has been reported. The aims of this study are to describe the extent of smoking and the provision of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to patients in a mental health facility with a smoke-free policy.
Methods
Cross-sectional studies of smoking (cigarette butt count and observed smoking) and nicotine dependence treatment (patient record audit) were undertaken over 9 consecutive weekdays in one mental health facility in Australia. A smoke-free policy incorporating a total smoking ban and guidelines for treating nicotine dependence among patients was implemented in the facility 4 years prior to the study.
Results
Two thousand one hundred and thirty seven cigarette butts were collected and 152 occasions of people smoking were observed. Staff members were observed to enforce the policy on 66% of occasions. Use of NRT was recorded for 53% of patients who were smokers.
Conclusion
Implementation of the smoke-free policy was less than optimal and as a consequence ineffective in eliminating smoking and in optimising the provision of NRT. Additional strategies to improve the provision of nicotine dependence treatment to patients and the monitoring of adherence are needed to ensure the intended benefits of smoke-free policies are realised.
Keywords: Nicotine dependence treatment; Smoke-free policy; Mental health; Smoking
Description
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
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Citation
Wye P, Gow LB, Constable J, Bowman J, Lawn S and Wiggers J (2014) Observation of smoking in a mental health inpatient facility with smoke-free policy: a need to improve nicotine dependence treatment. BMC Psychiatry 14: 94-102