Careful smokers (From York Press)

Careful smokers

9:26am Saturday 25th August 2007

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WITH regard to Mr McCartney's comments (Hospital smoking ban has sparked disgrace, Letters, August 16), not only is there a mess of cigarette ends in Bridge Lane, but there is also a mess at the front of the hospital on Wigginton Road.

I am also a smoker, and recently spent a weekend at the hospital, and when allowed, I too frequented both locations for a smoke during the day and at night when unable to sleep. I understand the hospital used to provide bins.

For me as walking wounded it was fairly easy. But, as well as staff, I was congregating with other patients and visitors. Among them was a young man, who brought his drip and stand along, and a young lady waiting for an operation on her foot who was in particular pain walking about even with a stick. There were also plenty of patients in wheelchairs.

How degrading is it for patients, many in night attire and dressing gowns, to have to stand on a public thoroughfare for a cigarette, which after all, even if you disagree with it, it is still legal.

On chatting with staff at these two locations I can assure Mr McCartney that not once did I see any of them drop their cigarette ends on the floor. The cigarettes were carefully stubbed out and placed in a bin on returning to the hospital.

It was suggested to me that the staff are being targeted for dropping litter and are being issued fixed penalty notices.

I did hear, whether it is true or not, that one member of staff was given a ticket for flicking their ash on the floor. No member of staff was able to say whether any patients have been treated in this way.

Mike Smith, York.

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