Supporting visitor compliance with a smoke-free policy at hospital using a nicotine replacement therapy vending machine.

While NRT is generally provided to patients and staff within health settings to support compliance with smoke-free policies, alternatives to smoking for visitors are typically overlooked. A NRT vending machine achieves this. However, because there are few purchases made, the vending machines as currently operating are unlikely to make any significant impact on smoke-free policy compliance at these hospitals. SO WHAT?: While vending machines have limited effectiveness on overall smoke-free policy compliance, this strategy may have applicability to all sectors with smoke-free policies, especially those operating 24 hours a day, as a means of providing an alternative to smoking for visitors.