Becoming a smoke-free day hospital.

Abstract

The Connecticut Mental Health Center Day Hospital instituted a no-smoking policy at the time of relocation to a new building. The attitudes of staff and patients were surveyed before and after the move. Despite the concern and anxiety shown in anticipation of the change in policy, the patients were not affected in a significantly adverse manner. The importance of providing a safe environment for patients and staff includes measures to prevent the inhalation of cigarette smoke. This paper supports the implementation of smoke-free policies in psychiatric settings.