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Group says enforcing smoke-free zones at hospitals would be a ‘complete waste of money’

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Spending public money to enforce smoke-free zones outside hospitals would be a “complete waste of money” according to a campaigner.

A Courier investigation this week revealed smokers are flouting new rules to stub out the habit in Tayside and Fife.

But Simon Clark, director of pro-smoking organisation Forest, slammed calls for laws to be tightened against those having a fly puff in the open air outside hospitals.

He said: “It would be very difficult to enforce without spending lots of cash on CCTV and officers, which would be a complete waste of money. There are far better things to spend money on than people smoking outside. Most people think the regulations are absurd.

“Hospitals are very stressful places for patients and staff and it would be crazy spending money to crack down on people who are harming no one but perhaps themselves.”

All hospital grounds in Scotland were supposed to be smoke-free from April 1.

Members of the “Smoke Free Services” team operate across NHS Tayside sites to offer information and advice about the policy, and explain what support is available for staff and patients.

Anti-smoking group, ASH Scotland’s chief executive Sheila Duffy said: “The push for this policy came from doctors, who deal with the diseases caused by tobacco day in and day out as part of the NHS.

“Smoke-free NHS grounds are an attempt to change the thinking and habits around using tobacco in our communities.

“The hope is that the thinking will change enough to allow the generation to be free from the tobacco epidemic, and from the misery and harm it causes.”