Officials with the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre say they've received some interesting feedback from their two smoking enforcement public meetings.
The hospital held two meetings to garner public input on whether or not smoking should be allowed on hospital property, and if the current smoking ban should be more firmly enforced.
Since the hospital opened in 2004, the board has had a policy in place that doesn't allow smoking anywhere on hospital grounds.
Acting communications director Trina Diner says they receive some suggestions about changing the audio messages which play outside.
She also said the hospital received some interesting and surprising feedback from the public.
“I found, as a facilitator there, that some of our smokers in the community were very passionate about keeping our grounds non-smoking.
“We also had some people who were non smokers who advocated for smoking areas outside of the building.”
Diner added that suggestions from the public will be taken to senior management early this month, and a formal presentation to the board of directors will be made in March.
She also said that while the hospital has never gone through by-law enforcement to issue tickets to those are caught smoking, it's something that will be considered in the future.
(Thunder Bay Television)
