Health workers push smoking

: Image by meerar via Flickr

Louise Hall Health Reporter
December 11, 2008

HEALTH workers contribute to the high rates of smoking among people with mental illness by using it as a behavioural tool and justifying the habit as their “only comfort,” a damning new report has found, as NSW Health considers whether to ban smoking in all psychiatric facilities next year.

The report, Smoke And Mirrors, was commissioned by the Cancer Council NSW, and shows there is a “deep-rooted smoking culture” among mental health staff and patients, and little support for the mentally ill to quit the habit.

The misconceptions that people with psychiatric disorders smoke to self-medicate or relieve symptoms and anxiety “are too easily used as excuses to justify inaction about smoking,” said the head of the Cancer Council, Andrew Penman.

“We know workers use provision of tobacco as a way of behaviour control or reward, or it’s used to bond or develop relationships with patients, but that’s an inappropriate tool and it’s dangerous for patients because it jeopardises their health,” Dr Penman said.

NSW Health has proposed legislation to make psychiatric facilities and surrounds – indoors and outdoors – smoke-free. A taskforce will report on the proposal early next year.

SANE Australia has lobbied the federal and state governments to fund quit smoking programs that specifically target the mentally ill.

Other advocates have joined SANE’s call for subsidised nicotine replacement therapy to ensure the cost of patches and gum does not deter them.

Source: http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/health-workers-push-smoking/2008/12/10/1228584929897.html