University Hospital Galway A&E entrance blighted by cigarette butts

 Cigarette butts are an eyesore littering hospital's A&E entrance

On a recent visit to Galway University Hospital (UHG), I was sickened by the amount of discarded cigarette butts that littered the main entrance to the A&E department. 

Smoke free hospital and grounds
Signs clearly label the buildings to be a 'smoke free hospital and grounds'. How different it was on my visit. I witnessed several visitors exit the double doors, light up and then proceed to smoke away until they looked for a place to discard their unwanted cigarette butts. 

Designated Smoking Area
The thing is I'm sure, like myself many people attending with patients and loved ones are stressed and a sly cigarette may calm the nerves. However, UHG's decision not to allow smoking and not to install cigarette bins or even allocate a dedicated smoking area has seen the front of the building turned into a filthy disgrace.

Disgrace
Come on UHG It should be one or the other - enforce the rules or install a dedicated smoking area and bins for those who do wish to smoke. For those like myself who don't smoke, it was enough to knock me sick. I suppose I was in the right place when it happened!