The region's health service is launching a clean-up campaign in a bid to rid hospital grounds of cigarette smoke and butts.South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Area Health Service announced a blanket ban on cigarettes at all sites in March 2008, including car parks and the entrances to hospitals.However, more than a year later, no-smoking signs and reminders from health staff have failed to break the habit of some visitors and patients.Health service chief executive Terry Clout said the result was piles of cigarette butts on hospital grounds and toxic passive smoke around those who could least afford to inhale it. "It's a very frustrating problem," he said. "We have taken incredibly lengthy and detailed steps trying to make people aware of our policy. "We've got signs everywhere and I constantly stop and talk to people and make them aware of the policy."They normally accept that ... the problem is I'm not standing there every moment of every day." In coming months, the health service plans to collect and count cigarette butts left behind by smokers to gauge the effectiveness of its smoke free workplace policy.The results will be made known to staff and the community in a bid to muster community support for the ban."We really would like the community to support us and plead with people to respect our policy," Mr Clout said.Mr Clout said it was inappropriate for an organisation geared towards protecting people's health to allow the habit.He said smokers should leave hospital grounds if they wanted to light up."Have the respect for others not to do it in a place that they have no option but to come to," he said.