We share clean air – Information leaflet

• • what does smokefree mean
  • why is our Trust smokefree
  • what does this mean for service users, carers and visitors
  • how can we work together to go smokefree

– admission to hospital
– in the community
– key facts
– benefits of giving up smoking

• what stop smoking support is available

What does ‘smokefree’ mean?
‘Smokefree’ means that smoking cigarettes or tobacco products is not allowed in any premises or on any grounds owned or leased by the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust. This includes ward gardens and in vehicles parked on Trust grounds.

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of people who use or work in our services.

Smoking causes ill health and increases your risk of dying at a younger age, therefore our Trust has a duty of care to provide a safe and healthy environment for service users, staff and visitors. This includes providing support to improve
both the physical and mental health of the people that use its services.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, 2021) recommends that all NHS sites should provide a safe, smoke free environment for everyone. Implementing the guidance enables us to meet our duty of care to protect the health of all our service users and staff.

Smoking cigarettes or using any tobacco products is not allowed in any buildings, or grounds used by the Trust. If you smoke on the grounds you will be asked to stop by staff.

Smoking materials are prohibited items on Trust sites. If you come into hospital with tobacco products or cigarettes, they will need to be given to staff to store. Alternatively all items can be given to a family member or carer to take home with
them. Any lighters or matches bought into hospital will be destroyed.

Following admission, any further smoking materials brought onto site will be removed by staff in the same way that other prohibited items are.

If you are visiting someone in hospital please do not bring any cigarettes or tobacco products (including lighters or matches) to the ward.

For people who are admitted to hospital

• If you are admitted to hospital we can provide nicotine replacement products (NRT), such as patches, gum, lozenges and inhalators, to help with the cravings for a cigarette. Alternatively an E-cigarette will be provided for you on admission if you prefer.
• Wards hold a stock of nicotine replacement products so you should be able to receive some soon after your admission.
• On admission you will be referred to a member of the Quit Team. These are staff who are trained to help you stay smokefree and manage your cravings.
• You will have the option to temporarily stop smoking for the duration of your stay, be supported to cut down your cigarettes, or to make a quit attempt with support from a trained member of staff.

Please help by:

• Not smoking anywhere on Trust grounds or premises.
• Not bringing smoking materials such as cigarettes, tobacco and lighters to hospital with you.

For people using our services in the community

• Second-hand smoke or passive smoking can damage health.
• If you are receiving treatment at home or in a community setting you will be expected to provide a smokefree environment for staff who are visiting you.
• Staff can signpost you for support to stop smoking or you can contact your local stop smoking service directly. Contact details for local services are at the end of this leaflet.

Please help by:

• Not smoking during the visit.
• Not smoking inside the house for at least one hour before the home worker comes to your house. If your home is not smoke free when the home worker visits you they may have to arrange to visit you at some other place which is smoke free. The home worker will tell you about this.
• Trying to keep one room in the house smoke free at all times.
• Opening the windows and doors if you have been smoking.
• Asking other people not to smoke in the house.

Electronic cigarettes are devices that allow you to inhale nicotine in a vapour rather than smoke. E-cigs do not burn tobacco, so they do not contain thousands of harmful chemicals that cigarettes/
tobacco do.

A report commissioned by Public Health England suggests that e-cigs are 95% less harmful than smoking, and therefore may be a helpful alternative
to smoking for many people.

E-cigarettes can be used on Trust sites in designated areas. Speak to a member of your healthcare team about where the designated areas are for your ward.

If you would like to use an e-cigarette you may use your own device, or you will be given one on admission. Replacement cartridges can be purchased at hospital shops.

If you are admitted to hospital and wish to recharge your e-cigarette, staff will need to do a brief check on your device before you can recharge it, to make sure it is safe.

E-cigarettes are not yet licensed as a medicine, therefore the Trust cannot prescribe them.

It is illegal for under 18’s to use e-cigarettes therefore the Trust cannot supply them to anyone under 18 years old.

• Smoking is the largest cause of preventable deaths and illnesses in England.
• Tobacco smoke contains over 5000 chemicals that are harmful to the smoker and those around them.
• If you are a smoker you are more likely to get diseases such as heart disease, stroke and cancer.
• Smoking is known to increase anxiety and depression; stopping smoking can reduce these symptoms.
• People with mental health problems tend to smoke more than other people.
• This makes people with mental health problems more vulnerable to the harmful effects of smoking.
• Men and women with severe mental illness die 15 to 20 years earlier that the national average. Smoking is the biggest single reason for this difference. Being smoke free helps us to reduce this unacceptable inequality.

Stopping smoking increases your chances of living a longer life. It can take as little as 20 minutes for your body to start healing once you quit smoking:

After 20 minutes Your blood pressure and heart rate return to normal.
After 8 hours Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in your blood half, oxygen levels return to normal.
After 1 day Your lungs start to clear mucus and carbon monoxide is eliminated from your body.
After 2 days Ability to taste and smell is greatly improved.
After 3 days Your breathing becomes easier and energy levels improve.
After 3-9 months Improvement with coughing, wheezing and breathing and lung function improves by around 10%.
After 5 years Risk of stroke returns to that of a non-smoker
After 10 years Risk of lung cancer returns to that of a nonsmoker.

Stopping smoking also helps to improve your mental health including reducing anxiety, depression and stress and may mean you are able to reduce the dose of certain medication.

Stopping smoking will save you money. People who smoke 20 cigarettes per day stand to save around £2500 per year.

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust now have a dedicated team to support you to remain smokefree when you are admitted to hospital. Following your admission a member of the team will visit you on the ward to discuss the support they can offer you.

Alternatively talk to your health professional next time you are seen in clinic or admitted to hospital. You can also contact your local stop smoking service for support:
If you live in Newcastle
CGL – Newcastle Stop Smoking Service Tel: 0191 269 1103
If you live in North Tyneside
North Tyneside Stop Smoking Service Tel: 0191 643 7171
If you live in Northumberland
Northumberland Stop Smoking Service Tel: 01670 813 135
If you live in Sunderland
Live Life Well Sunderland Tel: 0191 567 1057
If you live in South Tyneside
Change4Life South Tyneside Tel: 0191 424 7300
If you live in Gateshead
Gateshead Stop Smoking Service Tel: 0191 433 3058
If you live in Cumbria
Cumbria County Council Text: pharmacy stop then your postcode to 80011

A full list of references is available from the Patient Information Centre.

The text used in this leaflet is adapted from material kindly provided by the Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust.

Further information about the content, reference sources or production of this leaflet can be obtained from the Patient Information Centre. If you would like to tell us what you think about this leaflet please get in touch.

This information can be made available in a range of formats on request (e.g. Braille, audio, larger print, easy read, BSL or other languages). Please contact the Patient Information Centre Tel: 0191 246 7288.

Published by the Patient Information Centre
2024 Copyright, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Ref, PIC/742/0423 April 2024 V7
www.cntw.nhs.uk
Tel: 0191 246 7288
Review date 2026