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Forcing people to give up smoking

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Denying mental health patients the right to smoke.

To include mental health units in the smoking ban but exclude prisons seems extremely unfair.

The smoking ban excludes student halls of residence and prisons as it's effectively home for those that live there. I don't see why mental health patients should be treated differently to prisoners and students...

When people can't light up in their own private, personal space their human rights are being violated - two cases are being brought against NHS trusts, I hope they're successful...

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The smoking ban excludes student halls of residence

    Not in mine it doesn't :grump:.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    When people can't light up in their own private, personal space their human rights are being violated - two cases are being brought against NHS trusts, I hope they're successful...

    So do I, and you will find many health professionals agreeing with you. Especially those working in mental health services...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It's absolutely ridiculous and its come about because the legislation was rushed through instead of sitting down and coming to a sensible conclusion about which places are exempt.

    But the argument distracts people away from the real disgrace, which is the state of the hospitals that the mentally ill have to stay in in the first place.

    Not that NuLab ever gave a flying fuck about the mentally ill.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Franki wrote: »
    Not in mine it doesn't :grump:.

    That's your university's policy though - universities aren't obliged by law to ban smoking in residences. Here you're allowed to smoke in your room (if you shut the door) but not in communal areas (kitchen, corridors, etc). Tbh though there''s nobody around to enforce the latter and people light up wherever they want in halls when they're drunk... :P
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    That's your university's policy though - universities aren't obliged by law to ban smoking in residences. Here you're allowed to smoke in your room (if you shut the door) but not in communal areas (kitchen, corridors, etc). Tbh though there''s nobody around to enforce the latter and people light up wherever they want in halls when they're drunk... :P
    My halls are a separate company, not actual uni halls unlike some of the others. It doesn't stop some people, one of my flatmates was stupid enough to smoke weed in his room. Could have got us all kicked out and didn't even seem to care AT ALL. We're supposed to go outside and try and avoid the million-and-one rats *shudder*.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Franki wrote: »
    My halls are a separate company, not actual uni halls unlike some of the others. It doesn't stop some people, one of my flatmates was stupid enough to smoke weed in his room. Could have got us all kicked out and didn't even seem to care AT ALL. We're supposed to go outside and try and avoid the million-and-one rats *shudder*.

    Our corridors regularly stink of weed lol, lots of people smoke cigs and weed in their rooms...We only have heat alarms (smoke doesn't set them off) so I don't really see how people can get caught... Tbh people who go outside to the woods (the first place the security people would look) are going to get caught...

    If you don't have smoke detectors in your room I'd still smoke in it personally, it's your room and you're paying for it. Keep a bottle of oust and leave the windows open if you've got cleaners.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Franki wrote: »
    Not in mine it doesn't :grump:.

    To be fair you choose to live there and can pop out for a cigarette whenever you feel like it. The same can't be said of the patients in question.

    I completely support the smokers in this instance.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote: »
    It's absolutely ridiculous and its come about because the legislation was rushed through instead of sitting down and coming to a sensible conclusion about which places are exempt.


    .

    Rushed through after reading your anti smoking posts on here i reckon!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Smoking is foul and antisocial and shouldn't be allowed in enclosed public spaces. Anyone with half a brain can see that.

    A mental hospital isn't an enclosed public space but because its NHS property it is treated as such. That's the problem but it should be fairly easy to amend it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Randomgirl wrote: »
    To be fair you choose to live there and can pop out for a cigarette whenever you feel like it. The same can't be said of the patients in question.

    I completely support the smokers in this instance.
    Oh, I know. I have no problem having to go outside. To be fair, I wouldn't really smoke in my room anyway, it'd make my room stink :p.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    its in one of this months leisure industry magazines that a company is gonna be trying to bring back snuff to the masses, launching soon this year, selling in some bars in disposable containers.

    may be the future. certainly healthier. wonder if it'll catch on?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think this sucks tbh. As one has said, it is their living space and their human rights are being violated. At the mental ward here they are allowed to smoke outside, but yes, as Kermit said, the place is foul.

    It is really wrong that people in prisons are still allowed to smoke when the mental health patients aren't
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    How is it violating their human rights?

    If it is, we could also bring up smoking canabis and steroid use too, that would suit me because it's what i like to to do.

    Difference being smoking is legal and cannabis and steroid use isn't.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    When people can't light up in their own private, personal space their human rights are being violated - two cases are being brought against NHS trusts, I hope they're successful...
    I don't think it would stand up in court and here is why...

    ARTICLE 8

    1. Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.
    2. There shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right except such as is in accordance with the law and is necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security, public safety or the economic well-being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

    Does this mean that people are not allowed to even step outside to smoke?

    When I was in a unit, we had a little garden, but you couldn't smoke inside.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Most NHS hospitals are banning smoking on their grounds and indoors - I would imagine the ban means that everyone who isn't allowed to leave the hospital grounds will be completely banned from doing something entirely legal.

    The exemption within the human rights act should never apply to something like smoking - it's intended to cover hugely damaging exceptions - it's intended to allowing governments to still be allowed to stop people murdering each other not lighting a fag.

    The treatment of people with mental health problems is already a disgrace in this country, this is just another example of people picking on the most vulnerable to push forward their own bigoted viewpoint.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Just to clarify
    The patients argue the hospital is effectively their home and therefore they should be able to smoke. The new rules even prevent them smoking in the grounds.

    from the article - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7265537.stm
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They wont do this in prisons because they know that the prisoners would cause a stink and possibly riot. However they know they can kick mentally ill people around.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Make it illegal then.

    Because prohibition is working so well for the other drugs, why not include alcohol as well?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    budda wrote: »
    They wont do this in prisons because they know that the prisoners would cause a stink and possibly riot. However they know they can kick mentally ill people around.

    Indeed - can you imagine what it would like to be a prison officer the day prisoners are forced to quit smoking?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Indeed - can you imagine what it would like to be a prison officer the day prisoners are forced to quit smoking?

    It will be exactly the same for mental health workers.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Jim V wrote: »
    Most NHS hospitals are banning smoking on their grounds and indoors - I would imagine the ban means that everyone who isn't allowed to leave the hospital grounds will be completely banned from doing something entirely legal.

    Not most Jim, all...
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