Psychiatric Bulletin (2009) 33: 84-88. doi: 10.1192/pb.bp.107.017673
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Staff attitudes to smoking and the smoking ban

Kudlur Thyarappa Praveen, Specialty Registrar

*Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, Fromeside, Blackberry Hill Hospital, Stapleton, Bristol BS16 1EG, email: praveenkt{at}doctors.org.uk

Swamy Nirvana Chandrappa Kudlur, Consultant Psychiatrist in Substance Misuse

Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership Trust

Rudresh Paramishiyaiah Hanabe, Staff Grade in Substance Misuse

Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership Trust, Worcester

Adeyemi Tiwalade Egbewunmi, Specialty Registrar

Gloucester Partnership Foundation NHS Trust, Birmingham

Declaration of interest

None.

AIMS AND METHOD

Our aim was to explore attitudes of in-patient mental health staff to smoking and the smoking ban. A questionnaire was distributed to staff (n=450) working at National Health Service psychiatric units in three different locations.

RESULTS

We obtained 308 responses, at a response rate of 68.4%. Staff were generally less permissive towards smoking in mental health units when compared with previous studies. However, most (78.9%) feared that service users’ states would deteriorate if they were not allowed to smoke.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

We found small but noticeable change in staff attitudes following initial reforms in smoking policy. However, there is a need for further significant change in staff attitudes to facilitate implementation of a total smoking ban from July 2008.