"Cigarette Butts"

I experienced, along with others who spoke of their concern about the arrangements made for people who smoke at the new Bendigo Hospital. I spent two weeks at the hospital caring for a family member and was in and out of the rear entrance to the hospital on a daily basis. It was quite disheartening to see the growing number of cigarette butts on the ground around the outdoor seating areas, emergency department, footpaths and grassed areas. It indicates the hospital needs better arrangements for smokers. Despite public policy and legislation round smoking in public places it still happens because policies do not necessarily equate to people giving up smoking. Rather than ignore it or pretend it will go away it would be better to address it in a fair and equitable way. It detracts from the hospital precinct and the organisation as a whole. There are no smoking disposal facilities in this area, only two bins which would be a fire risk due to combustible materials in bins.