Smoking outside of Penticton Hospital!

[southy]

I simply could not believe this one folks. As crazy as this one will sound I swear it's true. Today around 11:30am I had to take my elderly mother-in-law to Penticton Hospital for xrays. Since she uses a walker and is having breathing problems, I thought it best t park in front of the entrance instead of going around to the back parking area. So, I tell her to wait in the vehicle while I go get a parking stub. This is where it gets really really crazy. The parking spitter is located just to the right of the Main Entrance doors. There is a line-up of people waiting to purchase a parking stub. As I'm walking over to the machine and line up I notice a big sign against the wall beside the spitter … it says NO SMOKING allowed on property or something to that effect. Sorry I didn't take a photo, felt there were to many people who might get upset. So I look at the sign and beside the sign that says NO SMOKING there stand 2 patients in their gowns puffing away on cigarettes. I politely say to the two of them … "did you notice the sign guys?" Nothing … they were either from some other country or just didn't or couldn't give a damn. No response. I shook my head and went over into the line-up. The smoke made it's way into the line up where stood myself and other folks who obviously were not to happy about it either. Some started coughing. Then to my surprise .. out of the main entrance doors comes an orderly with a patient in a wheel chair and pulls up beside the other two guys smoking … I'm thinking .."this can't be happening". The person in the wheel chair and hospital gown pulls out a pack of smokes and lights up. I say to the orderly … "ahh .. you do see the sign right there don't you?" he responed .. "oh yea" as he tried to ignore me. I again said .. "it says no smoking" and he replies "yea well ..rules get broken". Then out comes a young female with I.V. Pole and she lights up. Like what the hell is this. All of them standing around the big white sign that says no smoking smoking. Where is hospital administration on this. Where is security to enforce the no smoking rule. I finally got my parking stub and left to get some fresh air. I then had to walk by and through the smoke once again to get my mother in law into the hospital. And smokers wonder why they get a bad rap. In the hospital … yet have to come out and smoke. I don't get it.

[seewood]

Welcome to stupid rules.
Rules/by-laws that are effective are reasonable, enforceable, jurisdictions prepared to enforce them and have consequences.

Seems like in this case none of above are in effect.

[southy]

And for that reason, I will not contact hospital administration. I mean this is so obvious and so unprofessional for a hospital.

[XT225]

Southy, you have a very very valid point. Sadly, Interior Health does not appear to either care, or else can't enforce their own rules that THEY established. There used to be a designated smoking area around the East side, with a roof, picnic tables, etc but since they changed the rules, they no longer allow smoking on the entire property; yet they haven't the guts to enforce it. I wouldn't care, except that I am also affected each time I walk up to the main entrance and have to go past these addicts, who are standing right in front of the NO smoking sign. Its disgusting and a darn shame that I.H. won't either change the rules and put a small smoking section around back or else enforce their own policies. I even notice some commercial ashtrays have been installed near the main entrance. They should be put around back, if anywhere, out of site and out of mind.

Note: its not just patients with I.V. poles standing out front, its also some in wheelchairs AND staff (though the staff usually go down the grassy hill a bit, towards the doc's parking lot and congregate there....of course thats still on I.H. property).

[vegas1500]

Pathetic.....but do s this really surprise you? Happens everywhere.....

[Anonymous123]

I’ve seen the very same thing at the same hospital 5 years ago. It’s been going on for years.

[XT225]

Pathetic.....but do s this really surprise you? Happens everywhere.....

Simple answer is to allow smoking in a designated area only and keep it out of the public view/main entrances. That would make sense at least. What's happening right now makes NO sense whatsoever. Take it back to where it used to be, a few years ago; smoking section out the side/back. Nobody smoked, then, near the main entrances like they are doing right now.

[fluffy]

These days I spend most of my time in a work camp in northern Alberta. In a camp built to house up to 1500 there are four designated smoking areas, all outside, each about 100 square feet. You get caught smoking anywhere outside these areas you’re toast. Security will watch over your shoulder while you pack and then drop you off at the front gate. A taxi to town runs about $200. You will not be allowed to work here again, ever. People pay attention to signs here.

[TreeGuy]

I’m fed up with it everywhere. But there are many threads on this very topic. Non-smokers don’t appreciate having to breathe in second hand smoke. I’m tired of having to hold my breath as I enter or exit buildings or walk past the West Kelowna transit exchange. I could go on but I need to save my breath for the next time I have to hold it as I navigated public places.

[GordonH]

I simply could not believe this one folks. As crazy as this one will sound I swear it's true. Today around 11:30am I had to take my elderly mother-in-law to Penticton Hospital for xrays. Since she uses a walker and is having breathing problems, I thought it best t park in front of the entrance instead of going around to the back parking area. So, I tell her to wait in the vehicle while I go get a parking stub. This is where it gets really really crazy. The parking spitter is located just to the right of the Main Entrance doors. There is a line-up of people waiting to purchase a parking stub. As I'm walking over to the machine and line up I notice a big sign against the wall beside the spitter … it says NO SMOKING allowed on property or something to that effect. Sorry I didn't take a photo, felt there were to many people who might get upset. So I look at the sign and beside the sign that says NO SMOKING there stand 2 patients in their gowns puffing away on cigarettes. I politely say to the two of them … "did you notice the sign guys?" Nothing … they were either from some other country or just didn't or couldn't give a damn. No response. I shook my head and went over into the line-up. The smoke made it's way into the line up where stood myself and other folks who obviously were not to happy about it either. Some started coughing. Then to my surprise .. out of the main entrance doors comes an orderly with a patient in a wheel chair and pulls up beside the other two guys smoking … I'm thinking .."this can't be happening". The person in the wheel chair and hospital gown pulls out a pack of smokes and lights up. I say to the orderly … "ahh .. you do see the sign right there don't you?" he responed .. "oh yea" as he tried to ignore me. I again said .. "it says no smoking" and he replies "yea well ..rules get broken". Then out comes a young female with I.V. Pole and she lights up. Like what the hell is this. All of them standing around the big white sign that says no smoking smoking. Where is hospital administration on this. Where is security to enforce the no smoking rule. I finally got my parking stub and left to get some fresh air. I then had to walk by and through the smoke once again to get my mother in law into the hospital. And smokers wonder why they get a bad rap. In the hospital … yet have to come out and smoke. I don't get it.

Unfortunately some smokers are just pure as holes and don't give a damn.
impo give hospital security an ear full & maybe for few days some type of enforcement may take place, I wouldn't hold your breath on that though. lol

Added later: it always surprises me knowing effects of smoking to see nurses & doctors smoke, like really.

[pentona]

These days I spend most of my time in a work camp in northern Alberta. In a camp built to house up to 1500 there are four designated smoking areas, all outside, each about 100 square feet. You get caught smoking anywhere outside these areas you’re toast. Security will watch over your shoulder while you pack and then drop you off at the front gate. A taxi to town runs about $200. You will not be allowed to work here again, ever. People pay attention to signs here.

You're very lucky to work at a job where the employer actually enforces the rules that are in place to protect our freedoms. Too bad the Administration and Security folks at PRH wouldn't actually do their job as others have suggested.

Sure hope that changes here when the new entrance and tower opens at PRH in April.

ps: it would seem a rather simple solution, if they aren't going to enforce the rules, to just make a smoking area at the rear of the property, away from the general public.

[ToddT]

Cry me a river. That has been the smoking spot at the hospital for as long as anyone can remember.

Hilarious are the people that complain about a little bit of second hand smoke but will idle their cars and trucks in the McDonald's drive thru. Entitled hypocrites the lot of ya.

[pentona]

Cry me a river. That has been the smoking spot at the hospital for as long as anyone can remember.

Hilarious are the people that complain about a little bit of second hand smoke but will idle their cars and trucks in the McDonald's drive thru. Entitled hypocrites the lot of ya.

Its not against the law (perhaps it should be) to idle your vehicle in a drive thru. It IS against the rules, instigated by I.H. themselves to smoke anywhere on I.H. property. That is the big difference.

[TylerM4]

It wasn't that long ago we had patients smoking inside the buildings.

I do agree that IH smoked the butt on this one tho. It's a pretty dumb rule/stance that wasn't well thought out. As others have mentioned - there should be designated smoking area(s) that are reasonably comfortable and accessible. Expecting sick patients to leave the property to smoke is not reasonable hence why the rules aren't enforced.

[XT225]

It wasn't that long ago we had patients smoking inside the buildings.

I do agree that IH smoked the butt on this one tho. It's a pretty dumb rule/stance that wasn't well thought out. As others have mentioned - there should be designated smoking area(s) that are reasonably comfortable and accessible. Expecting sick patients to leave the property to smoke is not reasonable hence why the rules aren't enforced.

I recall that the lounges at the ends of the halls were where smoking was allowed for years. Then the policy changed. There used to be a designated smoking area outside around the East side, with a roof, picnic tables, etc. Why not, if I.H. won't enforce the rule, bring something like that back? Hey...here's a great idea: why not designate the new Heliport on the roof as the smoking area, since a chopper would make lots of fumes and the smokers would feel right at home!