An Australian healthcare professional has been dealing with a frustrating situation at their hospital, and they shared a picture of the problem with the community on the r/Sydney Reddit forum.
"I work at a hospital and this is what you see anywhere there's an outside space," the original poster wrote, alongside a photo of benches in front of a poster urging visitors not to smoke in the area. Unfortunately, the ground was littered with cigarette butts.
The poster warned that penalties may apply, and sure enough, Sydney has laws that issue fines for smoking within 13 feet of a pedestrian entrance of a hospital. The NSW Smoke-Free Environment Act 2000 allows for 300 Australian-dollar (roughly $197) fines to be given on the spot. These are equally applicable to those vaping, but sadly, enforcement is lacking.
Secondhand smoke is harmful enough as is — even more so for those with compromised health. That's not the only damage being done by smoking. Cigarette butts are some of the most common plastic waste items out there.
Plastic waste is a major health hazard for wildlife, and it only gets worse as the plastic starts shedding particles. Microplastics can find their way back into human food supplies. Once ingested, they can increase endocrine, immune, circulatory, digestive, renal, and reproductive health risks.
Knowing how to properly dispose of your plastic waste can help minimize that damage, but it's better still to cut smoking and eliminate the plastic usage altogether. Plus, your lungs will thank you.
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The Reddit community was equally exasperated by the situation at the Sydney hospital.
"I can just about smell this photo," one community member said.
"I used to work at Royal North Shore and you would see people smoking literally right under the signs," another Redditor added. "Sometimes you'd see them holding their babies, smoking over prams etc. The sign doesn't do anything when there is no one/nothing to enforce it."
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