XML Feed for RxPG News   Add RxPG News Headlines to My Yahoo!   Javascript Syndication for RxPG News

Research Health World General
 
  Home
 
 Latest Research
 Cancer
 Psychiatry
 Genetics
 Surgery
 Aging
 Ophthalmology
 Gynaecology
 Neurosciences
 Pharmacology
 Cardiology
 Obstetrics
 Infectious Diseases
 Respiratory Medicine
 Pathology
 Endocrinology
 Immunology
 Nephrology
 Gastroenterology
 Biotechnology
 Radiology
 Dermatology
 Microbiology
 Haematology
 Dental
 ENT
 Environment
 Embryology
 Orthopedics
 Metabolism
 Anaethesia
 Paediatrics
 Public Health
 Urology
 Musculoskeletal
 Clinical Trials
 Physiology
 Biochemistry
 Cytology
 Traumatology
 Rheumatology
 
 Medical News
 Health
 Opinion
 Healthcare
  UK
   NHS
  USA
  World
  India
  South Africa
  New Zealand
  Australia
  Canada Healthcare
  China Healthcare
  Africa
 Professionals
 Launch
 Awards & Prizes
 
 Careers
 Medical
 Nursing
 Dental
 
 Special Topics
 Euthanasia
 Ethics
 Evolution
 Odd Medical News
 Feature
 
 World News
 Tsunami
 Epidemics
 Climate
 Business
Search

Last Updated: Aug 25th, 2006 - 19:44:32

NHS Channel
subscribe to NHS newsletter

Medical News : Healthcare : UK : NHS

   DISCUSS   |   EMAIL   |   PRINT
Mental health units should not be exempt from smoking ban
Aug 25, 2006, 19:43, Reviewed by: Dr. Himanshu Tyagi

"Exemption from the Health Act will exclude mental health patients from mainstream health improvement strategies and exacerbate the inequality they already experience,"

 
Exempting mental health units from the ban on smoking in public places would worsen health inequalities for people with mental health problems, warn doctors in this week's BMJ.

Smoking is the largest single cause of preventable illness and premature death in the United Kingdom, with 106,000 people dying of smoking related diseases in 2002, and more than 10,000 dying each year as a result of passive smoking.

The Health Act 2006 will make all enclosed public and work places in England and Wales smoke-free environments, but may exclude some mental health settings.

This would be a mistake, argue Jonathan Campion and colleagues, as the prevalence of smoking is high among people with mental health problems.

Nearly three quarters of people with schizophrenia, affective psychosis, and other mental health disorders who live in mental health settings are smokers, and they are more likely to be heavier and more dependent smokers than the general population, they write.

As a result, people with mental health problems are at a substantially greater risk of premature death from smoking related diseases than is seen in the general population. This is particularly important given that those with mental illness already experience high levels of social exclusion and health inequality, which are exacerbated by smoking.

Arguments for excluding mental health settings from the new smoke-free legislation are that they are places of residence and that some patients are detained under the Mental Health Act. However, health and safety legislation places a duty on NHS employers to protect staff and patients from exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.

Another argument is that preventing people smoking is an infringement of human rights, particularly for detained patients. But the Human Rights Act 1998 allows an individual choice only if that does not endanger others. Furthermore, this argument is not applied to other forms of drug misuse, and people are not allowed to drink alcohol or use illegal drugs in mental health units.

Research also shows that smoke-free policies have succeeded in mental health settings. Such bans have caused fewer problems than anticipated, and policies applied in a consistent way to all patients were more effective than selective bans.

The health select committee has proposed that psychiatric institutions in England and Wales should not be exempt from the Health Act 2006, say the authors. "We strongly endorse this proposal and suggest that all mental health settings should introduce complete smoke-free policies. These policies should be introduced in a flexible and pragmatic way, with support and treatment available for patients to stop smoking and manage withdrawal."

"Exemption from the Health Act will exclude mental health patients from mainstream health improvement strategies and exacerbate the inequality they already experience," they conclude.
 

- Editorial: Exempting mental health units from smoke-free laws BMJ Volume 333 pp 407-8
 

www.bmj.com

 
Subscribe to NHS Newsletter
E-mail Address:

 



Related NHS News

Mental health units should not be exempt from smoking ban
NHS may be buying surgical equipment unethically
Is it time to give NHS more independence?
Experts Comment on New Blood Pressure Guidelines
New Guideance will Result in Better Control of Hypertension - BPA
NHS care for older people is still patchy
NHS could save �78m by improving staff productivity
Have targets improved performance in the English NHS?
Denying Joint Replacements Based On Prejudice
NHS needs to do more to provide need based health care


For any corrections of factual information, to contact the editors or to send any medical news or health news press releases, use feedback form

Top of Page

 

© Copyright 2004 onwards by RxPG Medical Solutions Private Limited
Contact Us