Smokers who work in hospitals...

SFGiants13 · Senior User Joined: 21 Feb 2005 Posts: 114 Location: CA SF

I've always wondered about people who work in hospitals and why they choose to smoke when they know it's not good for their health. I remember when I had treatments, I would walk outside of the building to get some sun, but I would see workers sitting in the smoking lounge area. These are the people who are working to help patients that are seriously ill, etc. You would think that a healthcare professional wouldn't even dare go down that road, I just wonder why?

Vee Smith · Moderator Joined: 12 Feb 2006 Posts: 566 Location: UK

It will always hit the other person!

cardoso · Guest

It´s called personal responsability.

If you´re a person working in a hospital, and you´re full aware of the long-term effect of smoking, and do it anyway, I say "go for it".

People do stupid things all the time, like jumping from perfectly good planes, or swimning with stingrays.

"I know it´s harmfull but I like it enough to take my chances". That´s fine.

What I don´t get is people stupid enough to claim "there´s no solid link between smoking and cancer".

//non-smoker
//hate the damn things

SFGiants13 · Senior User Joined: 21 Feb 2005 Posts: 114 Location: CA SF

I would agree with the both of you and I guess nobody's perfect. People will take risks or do stupid things because they want to but do people ever think? Question

brainman

Hi all,

I think this is an interesting but complicated question. Smoking is addicting and not so easy to stop once you have become addicted. Many if not most healthcare workers started smoking before becoming healthcare workers. I know many healthcare workers who have tried multiple times to stop. Most hospitals that I have worked in even have programs to help their employees to stop smoking. Some people are able to stop. Others, even some who work in oncology areas, are not able to stop smoking for very long.

It is easy to fault the smokers. But most of them started to smoke a long time before they could really understand or believe in the dangers of tobacco.
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Richard Day Gore

I agree with brainman (although it always strikes me as absurd to have to elbow my way through the doctors and other medical professionals who gather outside the hospital door to suck death into their lungs).

The only cigarette you actually choose to smoke is the first one. It's a horrible addiction that puts a lot of people in the grave, and will put a lot of tobacco company executives (and the politicians who kiss their butts) into Hell.

Regards,
Richard Day Gore
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LostMyFriend · Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 2:02 pm Post subject: Won't Happen to Me

I think Health care professionals smoke because they think. "It won't happen to me." They can always find that case of the person who smoked for 50 years and didn't have any ill effects.

Vee Smith · Moderator Joined: 12 Feb 2006 Posts: 566 Location: UK

Quite apart from the addiction and possible health effects, smoking reduces stress and many people working in stressful jobs smoke for that reason. Just look at all the driving instructors who smoke [or used to smoke before smoking bans were introduced]. Shocked

In

Smoking is an addiction. Just like-

Drinking, Shopping, Gambling, Drugs, Food. Anything can be a addiction. But things such as Smoking, drinking and drugs- all have that Active Ingrediant to make that much worse, or harder to kick.

Anything Medical, would have to be high stress, you'd think. Alot of people have urges while under stress.

Me- its food, or no food. Depends on what kind of stress. Either I eat anything and everything. or nothing at all.. Or Something, sweet, cool, and toxic- Like Vodka mixed drink.
I haven't got the stress of peoples lives on my hands, or seeing sadness everyday, in and out. So I guess my stress is no where near as bad......Just as I know that peice of Chocolate is going straight to my third chin. or that spare tire- and not the one on the car. Wink

. I know it's bad for me- health, Cancer, weight, and state of mind- But for that single Instant in time- it's gooooood! Razz

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harry1984 · Regular Joined: 25 Aug 2007 Posts: 19

The reason people smoke, even they know it's bad for them, is because they think they're special. They think they're the unique individual who will be the exception. It's as simple as that...nicotine addictions aside.

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