Hammerfest hospital removes ashtrays, sparking debate over smoking rights

A 68-year-old woman has criticised Hammerfest Hospital in northern Norway for removing ashtrays from outside its entrance, arguing that smoking is a “human right” and that patients and visitors now have nowhere to go, Dagbladet reports.

Anne Kari Wiik, a daily smoker, said the hospital’s decision leaves elderly, disabled, and mobility-impaired patients with no accessible place to smoke. “You shouldn’t be treated like a criminal,” she told the newspaper. “It’s a disgrace for a new hospital to be like this.”

Wiik, who frequently visits the hospital as a relative of patients, said the designated smoking area near the main entrance—equipped with multiple ashtrays—was suddenly removed over a month ago. “Smoking is legal. I believe it’s a human right to decide for yourself whether to smoke or not,” she said.

The hospital, which opened in January 2025, confirmed the ashtrays were intentionally removed to protect patients, visitors, and staff from secondhand smoke, in line with Norway’s Tobacco Harm Act. The law requires smoke-free entrance areas at hospitals and other institutions.

However, Øyvin Grongstad, the hospital’s operations and facilities manager, acknowledged the challenges and said a permanent smoking shelter is under construction, with completion expected by autumn. “We’re aware of the issues that have arisen,” he told Dagbladet, adding that temporary solutions are also being considered to address cigarette littering outside the entrance.

Wiik, who has smoked nearly daily since her teens, dismissed claims that smokers are being accommodated. “There are people in wheelchairs, people on crutches—they can’t walk far to smoke,” she said. She proposed a simple sheltered area with benches and ashtrays as a solution.

The hospital emphasised its obligation to comply with the law while balancing the needs of all parties. “We aim to serve everyone, but we must adhere to the smoking regulations,” Grongstad said. “We believe the final solution will be well received.”