No smoking or vaping
No smoking or vaping for patients
We have a no smoking, no vaping policy that applies to all patients, visitors and staff. Whether you are coming to us for a clinic appointment or a hospital stay, you must not smoke or vape anywhere inside our buildings or on our grounds.
It is routine for our staff to ask all patients if they smoke and to offer you options to help you be smokefree during your stay. If you let us know, we can provide clean nicotine products on the wards (e.g. patches, lozenges or gum).
We can also refer you to quit smoking organisations.
Did you know that smoking can slow down your healing? Being in hospital with access to recommended clean nicotine products and smokefree support may be a good time to start quitting altogether.
Click here if you want to go smokefree Once And For All
Vaping is not permitted
A wide range of information on vaping was reviewed by the Waikato DHB Pharmacy Service and it did not present any compelling reason to introduce support for vaping into the DHB's Smokefree Policy.
Vaping is less toxic than smoking cigarettes (unless you do both, in which case it may be more harmful). However the exact nature of the liquid products used in vaping is not known and is unregulated in New Zealand.
Same as with cigarettes, you are putting your vapour and its toxins into a space that is shared with other people.
Vaping can also be a gateway drug - something that normalises the use of drugs and encourages people to move to other more harmful or addictive drugs.