I am coming into hospital and I smoke - what can I do?

You will have smoke free information sent to you with your paperwork before coming into hospital.

The first thing you need to do is plan ahead. Think about if you are ready to quit smoking or even cut down how many cigarrettes you smoke. Talking this over can help you to work it out. You might want to talk to:-

• a quit educator at Bendigo Community Health Services - 5448 1600
• the Quitline - 13 78 48
• your local doctor.

While quitting is one the best things you can do for your health, if you are not ready to quit smoking, Bendigo Health can help you manage your need to smoke while in hospital by:

• Giving you nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) patches or lozenges
• Information on how to manage your cravings for a cigarrette

Your visitors need to be aware that they will have to leave Bendigo Health grounds if they want to smoke.

Where are the boundaries of the smoke free area?

All Bendigo Health grounds are smoke free including visitor and staff car parks. Signs and painted green lines on the footpaths mark the start of smoke free areas at the entrances to Bendigo Health.

Smoking before and after your operation

Smoking can lead to serious complications before and after surgery. Ideally you should quit smoking at least eight weeks before your operation. To find out why smoking can cause problems during your operation, please follow the links below.

• Quit Victoria
• Cancer Council Queensland