Background: Quit SA has developed a project specifically working with hospitals and health services to address smoking and tobacco as part of organization policy, service delivery and patient care. Hospitals and health services are ideal environments for health professionals to engage with clients and offer support and advice to quit. This project was developed to encourage a systematic and comprehensive approach to addressing tobacco in health services.

Strategy: Quit SA conducted literature reviews and developed a report outlining best practice recommendations that health services can adopt to address tobacco. Recommendations cover key areas such as organizational policy, signage and addressing smoking areas on site. It also recommends comprehensive change to ensure smoking status is routinely assessed and documented as part of clinical practice, and NRT is offered to clients to manage nicotine withdrawal. The project involves working intensively with health units across SA to implement recommendations, and provide training for health professionals to increase skills and confidence in addressing smoking with clients. The project has set up a Smoke Free Hospitals Network which meets monthly.

Conclusion: Despite SA lacking policy direction from its health department on smoking and tobacco, health services from across the state proactively want to make change and continue to approach Quit SA for support. There are a number of successful examples of health services going smoke free in South Australia which is a highlight of this project. Future directions include stronger advocacy for policy change and continuing to support hospitals throughout their changes to go smoke free.