North Bay hospital wants to create area for addictions, mental-health patients to smoke
The North Bay Regional Health Centre, which has been smoke-free since 2012, is asking city council for permission to create a designated smoking area.
The request comes from officials with the NBRHC Safe Beds and Community Withdrawal Management Services programs, located on King Street.
Ann Loyst, vice-president of mental health and addictions, told councillors that the smoking ban has created issues for patients receiving treatment.
"As patients of these services are voluntary, attempts to restrict smoking have been problematic," Loyst said in a letter. "Due to the nature of the programs, all patients require thorough searches of their person and belongings upon admission."
The problem is they don't have staffing to search patients every time they return from outside after leaving the property to go for a smoke.
"Although all relevant patients are offered nicotine replacement therapy, attempts to limit or eliminate smoking privileges have resulted in escalating patient behaviours and unplanned discharges," she wrote.
"Furthermore, allowing patients to leave the facility for smoking privileges has contributed to incidents where contraband has been brought into the facility, placing staff and patients at risk."
"There have also been medical incidents in the off-property smoking area, which is distant from the team station and challenging to monitor," Loyst added.
The hospital is proposing allowing patients to smoke in a gated courtyard on King Street, accessible through a patient common area.
Staff could monitor people from inside, and they wouldn't leave the property.
"Such a change would allow our patients a safe, accessible area to utilize smoking privileges without leaving the confines of the facility, thereby reducing their access to contraband and allowing the care team to respond quickly should an incident occur," she said.
The proposal has the support of Dr. Jim Chirico, medical officer of health, Loyst added. Together "they have concluded that an exemption to the smoke-free court yard is the safest for all."
Read the full report here. Councillors will debate the issue at their Nov. 16 meeting.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
Video appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs beating singer Cassie in hotel hallway in 2016
Security video aired by CNN appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs physically assaulting singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016.
Scottie Scheffler isn't the first pro golfer to be arrested during a tournament
Scottie Scheffler's arrest hours before his second-round tee time at the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, will go down as one of the most shocking in professional golf history. It certainly wasn't the first, though.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta border: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Anglers reel in 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off coast of Florida: 'She found my bait'
A group of fishers said it took roughly 20 minutes to reel in this 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off the coast of Florida.
Australia's richest woman seeks removal of her portrait from exhibition
Art is subjective. And while many artists long to share their work with the world, there's no guarantee that the audience will understand it, or even like it.
Canadian convicted of attacking Nancy Pelosi's husband with a hammer sentenced to 30 years
The man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison.
Israeli military finds bodies of 3 Gaza hostages killed at music festival
Israeli military says its troops in Gaza found the bodies of three Israeli hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack, including German-Israeli Shani Louk.