Smoking is not permitted within the grounds of Whanganui Hospital. We are proud to be a smokefree site, and we ask that you do not smoke while you are with us, and that you encourage your visitors not to smoke either.

Click here to view the Whanganui District Health Board Smokefree Policy.

Tobacco Health Target

Smoking causes serious harm and contributes to about 5000 deaths a year in New Zealand. It also causes poor health for thousands more.

‘Providing better help for smokers to quit,’ is a new Ministry of Health health target. The first focus for the new tobacco health target is hospitals. The aim is to get all health professionals to ask every hospital patient if they smoke, then to offer smokers help to quit.

Most people who smoke want to quit. When people are in hospital it can be a good time to start quitting as there is help readily available for people who want to quit.

Whanganui Hospital has now included questions about smoking in the health assessment. All patients will be asked if they are a smoker or live in a smoke exposed environment.

The national definition of a current smoker is someone who has smoked one or more cigarettes, cigars and/or tobacco pipe within the last month.

Whanganui Hospital Smokefree Services

While you are in hospital we can provide assistance to help patients and visitors quit smoking. Please ask a staff member if you need more information.

If you are a smoker the staff will:

• Give a brief statement on how you can best improve your health by quitting smoking. This is a non-judgmental health statement.
• Inform you of the Smokefree policy of no smoking in the buildings or hospital grounds
• Offer you assistance to remain smokefree whilst in hospital by providing you with nicotine patches/ gum/lozenge
• Nursing staff assess your nicotine cravings routinely throughout your stay so that adjustments can be made to ensure adequate cover with patches/gum/lozenge is provided

When a smoker is discharged from hospital, you will be asked if you wish to continue being smokefree. If you do, or a family member wishes to quit:

• A Quit Card for nicotine patches/ gum/ lozenge will be filled out that you can have filled at the hospital pharmacy or your chemist. This will be eight weeks supply of patches/gum/lozenge and will cost you $3 per product ($6 if you had patches and gum).
• A referral will be made to a cessation service for ongoing support and counselling. This is your choice and could be either; your GP service, Aukati Kaipaipa, or a faxed referral to Quitline for telephone support.
• Discharge summary to your Primary Health Care Provider will contain a summary of your smoking status and quitting interventions.