Smokefree England
1st July 2007 - the new law is now in force
to protect employees and the public from the harmful effects of
secondhand smoke.
Key points are:
- It is against the law to smoke in virtually all enclosed and
substantially enclosed public places and workplaces.
- Public transport and work vehicles used by more than one person
need to be smokefree.
- No-smoking signs must be displayed in all smokefree premises
and vehicles.
- Staff smoking rooms and indoor smoking areas are no longer
allowed, so anyone who wants to smoke will have to go outside.
- Managers of smokefree premises and vehicles have legal
responsibility to prevent people from smoking.
- If you are uncertain where you can or can't smoke, just look
for the no-smoking signs or ask someone in charge.
Penalties and fines for breaking the smokefree
law:
If you don't comply with the new smokefree law, you will be
committing a criminal offence. The fixed penalty notices and
maximum fine for each offence are:
- Smoking in smokefree premises or work
vehicles: a fixed penalty notice of £50 (reduced to £30 if
paid in 15 days) imposed on the person smoking. Or a maximum
fine of £200 if prosecuted and convicted by a court.
- Failure to display no-smoking signs: a fixed
penalty notice of £200 (reduced to £150 if paid in 15 days) imposed
on whoever manages or occupies the smokefree premises or
vehicle. Or a maximum fine of £1000 if prosecuted and
convicted by a court.
- Failing to prevent smoking in a smokefree
place: a maximum fine of £2500 imposed on whoever manages
or controls the smokefree premises or vehicle if prosecuted and
convicted by a court. There is no fixed penalty notice for
this offence.
Purbeck District Council is responsible for enforcing the new
law in Purbeck.
To get help with
giving up call 0800 1690 169 to find your
local
NHS stop smoking service or
text 'give up' and your post code to 88088.
Enquiries:
Also, from 1st July a telephone line (0800 587
1667) is available which enables members of the public to
report possible breaches of the law. This information will be
passed to local councils to follow-up as appropriate.
Passive smoking means breathing in other people’s tobacco
smoke. Tobacco smoke contains over 4000 chemicals either in
the form of particles or gases. Particles include tar, nicotine,
benzene and benzo(a)pyrene. Environmental tobacco smoke has been
labelled “carcinogenic to humans” by the WHO’s International Agency
for Research on Cancer (IARC). It has also been
labelled a “class A human carcinogen” by the US Environmental
Protection Agency, along with asbestos, arsenic, benzene and
radon gas.
Health risks from passive
smoking
Passive smoking increases the risk of an acute coronary heart
disease event by 25-35%
Exposure to passive smoking increases the risk of lung cancer by
between 20-30%
Passive smoking increases the risk of stroke by 82%
Links:
SmokeFree Purbeck - It's
Your Business
Smokefree England
website (external link)
NHS stop smoking
service (external link)
Alliance Pharmacy Stop Smoking
(external link)
Contact Details:
If you want to speak to someone about the new legislation
either email susaneady@purbeck-dc.gov.uk
or phone 01929 556561.