Cape Breton Hospital Workers Battle Butt-Out Orders

[Aaron]

CBC

SYDNEY, N.S. - Some hospital workers in Cape Breton say they'll fight a tough, new anti-smoking policy.

Starting July 1, staff with the Cape Breton district health authority will not be allowed to smoke anywhere on district property, including inside their own cars.

Union representative Jackie Bramwell said certain patients will be allowed to smoke in designated shelters called "butt hutts" on hospital property, but not employees. She doesn't believe that's fair.

"We believe that same consideration should be given our members," said Bramwell.

If a worker wants to smoke on a coffee break, Bramwell said he or she will have to drive off hospital property to have a puff and return within 15 minutes.

Bramwell said the union will file grievances against the restrictions.

Hospital administrators said they are sticking to the plan.

"Smoking is a health issue. And we don't see this as discrimination," said Greg Boone, spokesperson for the health authority.

"It's the second phase of a three-year plan to restrict smoking on district property and it affects both employees and the public."

Boone said some patients are allowed to smoke for humane reasons since they are in continuing care and don't have the option of leaving the property.

Employees have a standing offer to enroll in stop-smoking programs run by addiction services, he added.

I smell a shitty double standard here. If the patients are allowed to smoke in designated shelters then the employee's must be allowed to smoke too, provided they use the same shelters. As for not being allowed to smoke in their own cars, that's ridiculous. How the hell do they propose to enforce that particular part of the order?

[Tsyroc]

I smell a shitty double standard here. If the patients are allowed to smoke in designated shelters then the employee's must be allowed to smoke too, provided they use the same shelters. As for not being allowed to smoke in their own cars, that's ridiculous. How the hell do they propose to enforce that particular part of the order?

That is pretty fucked up.

At the hospital that I work at there are smoking areas outside and no one is allowed to smoke inside.

It does seem stupid that you would run across people in healthcare who smoke but there are plenty of people in healthcare that are fat, don't exercise etc... The whole point is as healthcare workers we are not supposed to be passing judgement on patients or potential patients. Considering some of the dumbass stuff people do it is very difficult at times

Anyway, I don't know what healthcare employment is like in Sydney but here in the US there is a huge shortage of nurses. There's no way any hospital Tucson could afford to alienate so many of it's workers. They'll just go someplace else.

Speaking of which, my hospital has been known to recruit outside of the US so if you know any nurses who work within the Cape Breton health athority that would be interested in working in the US just point them here