Smoking Ban

All enclosed public places and workplaces may be smoke free by the middle of 2007. When the Health Bill currently passing before Parliament receives approval, it will allow for the implementation of smoke free premises and vehicles. Although no date has yet been decided for the smoking ban to commence, employees and customers will have to be educated and premises may require alteration in order to comply.

Most circumstances where the ban applies will be straightforward, but there will inevitably be some confusion initially. For instance, employees who have a company car for their sole use may still smoke in the vehicle including when giving a non-smoking colleague a lift to work. Pool and other multi-driver vehicles will be considered workplaces and the ban will apply. Private cars and homes will be exempt.

A consultation document can be downloaded from www.dh.gov.uk/consultations/liveconsultations