NHS premises in Tayside and Fife have become entirely smoke-free as part of a new Scottish Government initiative.
Smokers could now be given fixed penalty notices under the tough new scheme, which has seen all NHS premises in Scotland commit to a complete ban on smoking.
NHS Tayside and NHS Fife have operated non-smoking premises since 2006.
An NHS Tayside spokesperson said: “Our updated smoking policy is in the process of being finalised and will soon be implemented across NHS Tayside.
“This policy will ask staff, patients or visitors not to smoke on NHS Tayside premises or grounds and also includes a ban on the use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices across all NHS Tayside sites.”
An NHS Fife spokesperson said: “Smoking has been banned on NHS Fife sites since 2006 and the use of e-cigs has been banned on our grounds since 2013.
“A member of staff is employed at the main entrance to our largest hospital, the Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, to help further promote our no-smoking message.”
As part of the Tobacco Control Strategy for Scotland, all National Health Service regions had to commit to enforcing smoke-free grounds by the end of March.
Smoking areas will be removed from NHS grounds across the country and even drivers smoking in their cars will be asked to stub it out.
The move has been welcomed by anti-smoking campaigners but opposed by the Scottish Conservatives and smoking groups, saying the NHS should focus on getting the basics right.
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Jackson Carlaw said: “If only NHS boards were as concerned about hospital food as they were the public’s smoking habits.
“Patients will not want to see resources diverted away from the frontline to target people smoking in their own, private space.”
It has also emerged no extra resources will be provided to health authorities to enforce the ban.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “It is a matter for boards to decide how they implement and enforce their smoke-free policies, this includes whether they choose to incorporate a ban on e-cigarettes.”