The Northern Health Region’s decision to shut down the smoking room at the Northern Lights Manor is understandable.
But that doesn’t mean it’s right.
As The Reminder recently reported, the Manor’s smoking room – a self-contained facility with its own ventilation system – is closing in the near future.
The health region says no elderly residents are using the room and that consultations with residents and their families have demonstrated support for the closure.
Moreover, the closure fits in with the health region’s smoke-free policy and the provincial (not to mention societal) direction regarding smoking.
The closure is also somewhat symbolic given that the Manor is the only care home in northern Manitoba with a smoking room.
Let’s be clear: No one should smoke. Smoking is a relic from another era, one that has tragically claimed millions of lives. The elderly especially should not smoke given the fragility of their systems.
But is it right to force elderly residents moving into the Manor to give up smoking when they could continue to do so without harming anyone but themselves? Is this not taking anti-smoking zealotry to an extreme?
It may be true that no current Manor residents smoke, but the situation is fluid. What about future residents?
To its credit, the health region offers smoking-cessation support to any care home resident who asks for it.
“We work with our elders in the spirit of cooperation,” said health region spokesman Glenn Hildebrand. “We have found that most elders choose to stop smoking for other health reasons and we support that. Our support has been very individually based, depending on the needs and desires of the elders.”
Fair enough, but what about a senior whose desire is to continue smoking in the final years of his life? Should that not be his basic right?
The health region would do well to reconsider the smoking room closure. As awful as smoking is, dictating lifestyle to our elders may be worse.
