Smokefree Bexley
Bexley goes 'smokefree' in July 2007
From 1st of July 2007, virtually all enclosed public places and workplaces in Bexley will become smokefree. This means that it will be against the law to smoke in the indoor parts of places such as pubs, bars, nightclubs, cafes and restaurants, lunch rooms, membership clubs and shopping centres. At work, smoking inside will become a thing of the past, and indoor smoking rooms will no longer be allowed. Public transport and work vehicles used by more than one person will also need to be smokefree.
The Public Protection service will be monitoring compliance with the new requirements. Further information on this will be available nearer to the implementation date.
The  Smokefree England website provides you with information about the new legislation and lets you know how you can play an important part in creating a smokefree England.
We know that 75% of the population does not smoke and of those that do 70% want to give up.
For smokers who want to quit, the NHS
offers a range of excellent free support including local NHS Stop
Smoking Services and the Together Programme. If you would like
support and advice on stopping smoking, call Bexley Stop Smoking
Service on 020 8298 6161. You can get a copy of their 'help to
stop smoking' information leaflet  here (1.69MB, PDF file).
Alternatively call NHS smoking helpline on 0800 169 0 169 or visit
their website.
Secondhand smoke is bad for health because it is a recognised carcinogen, which means that it is known to cause cancer in humans. Secondhand smoke can significantly increase a non-smokers likelihood of getting lung cancer or heart disease. And, because 85% of secondhand smoke is invisible and odourless, even though you think your workplace, pub or club is not a particularly smoky place you maybe be at more harm than you realise. Secondhand smoke does not only affect the health of non-smokers, but is not good for the health of smokers either.
Secondhand smoke can also seriously harm the health of children, and can cause childhood respiratory disease and sudden infant death syndrome.
What does my business have to do?
Employers, managers and those in charge of smokefree premises and vehicles will need to:
- display 'no smoking' signs in smokefree premises,
- take reasonable steps to ensure that staff, customers/members and visitors are aware that premises and vehicles are legally required to be smokefree
- ensure that no one smokes in smokefree premises or vehicles
You may also want to take these supportive measures:
- remove ashtrays from smokefree areas
- develop a smokefree policy in consultation with staff
- provide your staff and customers with support to quit smoking
- ensure that your staff and customers know where they can smoke if they choose to
Smokefree England have produced a brochure that briefly explains how the new smokefree regulations and also some useful factsheets for businesses. These can be downloaded free from the Smokefree England site.
If you are proposing to make changes to your business to provide
smoking facilites such as canopies or shelters or allocating outside
space as smoking areas there may be a requirement to obtain planning
and/or building regulations approval. If you run a business that is licensed any changes that you propose may affect that license. To get further information on these issues you should contact:
Smokefree health and your community
Smokefree public places and workplaces will bring a positive change to your community, and support is available to help ensure the introduction of smokefree England is a success. There are resources for you to use to help promote smokefree in your area. There is currently a brochure that briefly explains how the new smokefree regulations work and also some useful factsheets for communities that can be downloaded free from the Smokefree England site.
|
