Prison officers overcome by inmates’ nicotine lozenge bong

Nicotine lozenges will be banned from jails after inmates were found to be crushing them up and smoking them in jailhouse bongs — leading to the hospitalisation of two prison officers.

• Inside Sydney’s maximum security female jail
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Nicotine replacement therapy lozenges will no longer be issued to prisoners after it was found inmates were crushing them and smoking them in jailhouse bongs.

Two prison officers from Bathurst jail were hospitalised for smoke inhalation last week, after accidentally breathing in lozenge fumes from the handmade bongs.

A prison officer said some inmates mixed the crushed lozenges with things like banana peel or tea leaves before smoking the unusual concoction in bongs built from “coke cans”, shampoo bottles or pens.

Other inmates were smoking the crushed lozenges using the pages of the Bible, the officer said.

Inmates at Bathurst Jail are crushing nicotine lozenges and smoking them. Picture: iStock

Lozenges can be purchased by prisoners during weekly grocery “buy ups” using money they earn.

Staff at Bathurst jail threatened to impose work bans after the officers who inhaled the lozenge smoke sought treatment, resulting in the matter being taking to the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.

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Nicotine replacement therapy ­lozenges have been available for inmates since prisons became smoke-free in 2015.

However, the Public Service Association argued the lozenges had begun posing a health risk to staff who were being exposed to the fumes from inmates smoking them.

“They are not supposed to be smoked, and the effects of breathing in the fumes can lead to things like welder’s lung,” the spokesman said.

Two prison officers from Bathurst Jail were hospitalised last week.

According to Corrective NSW figures, around 76 per cent of the NSW inmate population smokes, compared with 17 per cent of the general population. Around one in four inmates nationally enter prison as smokers.

The Justice Health & Forensic Mental Health Network works with inmates to help them give up smoking.

As well as the lozenges, new prisoners are also able to access a nicotine patch.

Nicotine lozenges will no longer be issued to prisoners after it was found inmates were crushing them and smoking them in jailhouse bongs.

To help prisoners quit, the department also has a “relaxation tip sheet” whereby inmates are given step-by-step instructions on breathing, visualisation, muscle relaxation and drawing.

But such is the demand for tobacco that it remains one of the key contraband items prison officers routinely intercept, from visitors trying to smuggle it in, to balls stuffed with ­tobacco being kicked over perimeter fences.

A Correctives Services NSW spokesperson said the lozenges would be considered contraband from May 10.

“Two weeks ago CSNSW informed the Public Service Association of its intention to ban nicotine replacement therapy lozenges in all NSW prisons,” the spokesperson said.

“Inmates will no longer be able to purchase the lozenges from the buy-ups system from 21 April.

“They will be considered contraband from May 10.”

Originally published as Prison officers overcome by inmates’ nicotine lozenge bong