The Conference was sponsored by the NHS Scotland, the European Community, and supported by inter alia the WHO/EURO, Globalink, ASH etc. The Conference was attended by 500 delegates from 50 countries. It was held to share findings on smokefree legislation and to promote such legislation in countries. It proved a valuable opportunity to publicize the concept of smokefree hospitals and the London-based International Network of Smokefree Hospitals (INTSH) founded by the late Tom Hurst.

In the session on Promoting Smokefree in Special Settings Dopson suggested that as prisons and mental hospitals had an analogous captive client group there could be mutual help between the two settings.  The following ideas were discussed: How can the INTSH liaise with international bodies in its field, for instance the European Network for Smoking Prevention, whose code is available in 22 languages and which has grades of certification for its European Directory of Smokefree Hospitals.

Should INTSH encourage the EU to establish a European Institute of Tobacco Control?

Investigate how hospitals could use the internet in anti-smoking education.

An interesting point was that pictures are more effective than words in stop smoking education. Prof. B. Dautzenberg, the famous anti-tobacco activist from France asked whether a smoke free hospital movement is needed following a smoking ban.
The answer was ’Yes’.

Prof. B. Dautzenberg, the famous anti-tobacco activist from France asked whether a smoke free hospital movement is needed following a smoking ban. The answer was ’Yes’.

Reported by Laurence Dopson, Editor of INTSH.