Fuming: Parents unhappy with lax enforcement of no smoking policy at Saskatoon children's hospital

The father of a cancer patient staying at the Jim Pattison Children's Hospital in Saskatoon wants the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) to enforceits no smoking policy.

James McCrimmon makes daily visits to the Saskatoon hospital to be with his three-year-old son, who has leukemia and is recovering from a recent bone marrow transplant. McCrimmonsaid that, on any given day, he has to walk through a gauntlet of smokers at the hospital's entrance.

Signs posted at the entrance state, "Saskatchewan Health Authority buildings and grounds are No Smoking Zones." McCrimmon said the policy is not enforced and that no one from the SHA has returned messages when he's contacted them for help.

"I have to deal with enough stress and now it's up to me to police smoking so my child doesn't have to breathe in the smoke," McCrimmon said on Tuesday.

"It's not something a parent should deal with. They should be focused on their kid's health and that is it. And I don't think it's crazy to ask the health authority to care for my son's health when he's there daily. It's just so much extra stress."

In a video he recorded earlier this month, McCrimmongives atour of the hospital entrance and parking lot, pointing out numerous piles of discarded cigarettes and other litter.

WATCH | James McCrimmon recorded this video outside the Children's Hospital:

Father of 3-year-old cancer patient fuming at smokers outside Children's Hospital

3 months ago

Duration 1:46

James McCrimmon makes daily visits to the Jim Pattison Children's Hospital in Saskatoon to be with his three-year-old son, who has leukemia. He says adults smoke at the hospital entrance and the Saskatchewan Health Authority is neglecting to enforce its smoking ban on hospital grounds.

His son Isaac is in the ICU dealing with complications related to last year's bone marrow transplant. Successful recovery relies on keeping the three-year-old free of infections. The family moved to Saskatoon from Manitoba so they could be with Isaac every day.

"My other two children visit my son who basically lives here at the hospital [and] they have to hold their breath and walk through this just unsanitary state of a hospital," McCrimmon said.

"It says right there on their signs that they're smoke free grounds, and security and the health authority just do nothing about it. They just stand by and watch despite numerous complaints."

On Tuesday afternoon, CBCobserved people smoking on all sides of the entrance, some as close as five metres from the doorway. Security guards or hospital staff were not seen enforcing the no smoking policy.

The SHA is ultimately responsible for enforcing the smoking policy on hospital grounds, according to the Jim Pattison Children's Hospital. The SHA declined an interview request about the smoking policy and McCrimmon's attempts to reach officials. Instead, the SHA sent a statement reiterating its smoking policy.

"Smoking on SHA property is an ongoing concern," according to the statement. "The SHA has a 'No Smoking' policy on hospital property, and Protective Services Officers discourage any smoking on SHA property outside of designated areas, especially adjacent to facility entrances."

The SHA said people are asked to smoke on the far side of the parkade opposite the entrance.

"Compliance with these instructions has been mostly positive. Protective Services Officers patrol facilities regularly to monitor smoking activities," the statement said.

McCrimmonsaid he just wants the current policy enforced. He understands adults are free to smoke, but saidsmokers and the health authority should respect parents and children in difficult circumstances.

"The children's entrance to the hospital is where all the oncology kids come. Newborn babies take their first breath of fresh air out those doors," he said.

"We're not thinking about the kids and they deserve a safe and sanitary and very healthy environment for them to try and recover. And right now, my son's currently fighting for his life up on the ICU."