Smoke-free hospitals

Key messages

The Victorian Government supports smoke-free hospitals and healthcare services.
The ABCD approach supports health services to help their patients quit.

Supporting patients to be smoke-free

The Supporting patients to be smoke-free project is led by Alfred Health and funded by the Department of Health and Human Services.

It aims to ensure all people who access the Victorian health system are asked about their smoking and offered support to quit.

Alfred Health provides support to all Victorian health services to implement the ABCD approach, systematically identifying all smokers and providing them with support to quit by:

Asking
providing advice (Brief intervention)
recording the action taken at the point of hospital discharge (Communicating at Discharge).

Smoke-free health services

The Tobacco Act 1987 (Tobacco Act) prohibits smoking within four metres of building entrances (pedestrian access points) to public hospitals and registered community health service in Victoria. The use of electronic cigarettes is also prohibited in all legislated smoke-free areas.

Under the Tobacco Act, smoking is also banned inside hospital buildings.

The legislation forms a minimum standard. In addition to the law banning smoking inside, and within four metres of entrances to all public hospital buildings, a health service may choose to put in place a policy which further restricts smoking on the hospital site.

To further enhance support to patients to be smoke-free, Alfred Health can also provide guidance to health services to implement a smoke-free health service policy.

Resources

Start the conversation challenges health professionals to raise the topic of smoking with their patients.
An ABCD approach to supporting people who smoke: a guide for health services.
Pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation.
The Quit online learning module for health professionals is a 15 minute course that teaches how to deliver a brief intervention, which is part of the ABCD approach.
An extensive range of smoking cessation support options are available via Quit Victoria.
Tobacco Reforms website - Public hospitals and health centres - smoke-free.
Smokefree Victoria the Victorian Network of Smoke-free Health Services.
Hear how other large organisations created a smoke-free organisation through the Achievement Program.

Reviewed 23 November 2017

Health.vic

Contact details

Prevention and Population Health Branch Department of Health

VHEE@health.vic.gov.au