Wednesday 27th June 2007
(ref:
190/2007)
It’s finally upon us…
One of the biggest ever changes to the social life of Wigan Borough is now just days away.
From Sunday July 1 virtually all enclosed public and work places in England will go smokefree. That means that it will be against the law to light up inside pubs, bars, nightclubs, cafes, restaurants, members’ clubs, shopping centres, leisure centres and work places.
Public transport and work vehicles used by more than one person will also be smokefree. All premises and vehicles affected will need to display no smoking signs.
The legislation has been brought in to protect everyone from the harmful effects of second-hand smoking when they are working, socialising and relaxing. It will also encourage more people to give up the dreaded weed by creating more supportive social environments.
In the months leading up to smokefree, officers from Wigan Council’s Environmental Health and Licensing sections have been working closely with businesses across the borough to ensure that everyone is up to speed with the new rules.
Senior Environmental Health Officer Rosemary Lee says: “Like other councils across the country, Wigan has been given the job of enforcing the new laws.
“We have been visiting various premises to explain the new laws and to make sure that everyone has the correct signage in place.
“So far we have been found that everyone has been really co-operative. Many of the borough’s business and leisure premises are already smokefree so Sunday will come as no great surprise to a lot of people.”
Rosemary adds: “For others we anticipate there may be a few teething troubles but we are on hand to give anyone the help, advice and support they need to comply with the new laws.”
The Environmental Health team will be out and about in the borough on Sunday July 1 visiting the borough’s pubs and other businesses to make sure everyone is on board and support them in getting it just right.
Although we are not anticipating any problems anyone who continues to flout the legislation however could face a fine. Anyone caught smoking in the workplace or company car could be subject to a fixed penalty notice of £50 or a maximum £200 if convicted in court. Failure to display no-smoking signs carries a fixed fine of £200 for whoever manages or occupies the building or car and this rise to a maximum £1,000 fine if convicted in court. Finally, failure to prevent smoking in the workplace will attract a maximum fine of £2,500 if convicted by a court.
But the council is adopting a policy of support rather than punishment over the new legislation.
Wigan Council’s smokefree champion Cllr Kevin Anderson says: “We are not going to take a heavy-handed approach with regards to smokefree.
“We believe that the vast majority of people will co-operate fully with the new rules. In fact we’re fairly sure that a significant proportion of the population will welcome the new rules with many thinking they are long overdue. Our neighbours in Scotland Wales and Ireland can testify to this because they’ve already gone smokefree with tremendous success.
“It is unfair to expect others to breathe your second-hand smoke and this is why the legislation has been introduced.
“For smokers there really never has been a better time to give up. There’s plenty of support available from Ashton, Leigh and Wigan Primary Care Trust’s Stop Smoking Service.
“Apart from the health reasons, think about the cash you could save. The average smoker spends £1,730 each year on cigarettes. Now that has to be a great reason to go smokefree!”
Up In Smoke
The facts (and fiction) about smokefree and quitting:
- We don’t need to worry about going smokefree, our local is a working men’s club and they are exempt from the legislation so we will be able to carry on smoking there.
Clubs do not get an exemption from the law. From July 1st smoking will no longer be allowed in pubs, clubs, cafes, restaurants, offices, shops, taxis or works vehicles. In fact all enclosed or substantially enclosed work places and public spaces will go smoke free on this day. - The council is wasting a lot of money to pay their staff to snoop on smokers in pubs.
It is true that Council officers will be checking that businesses are observing the smokefree legislation and that they will be out supporting businesses when the law comes in to force but it is up to the business proprietor to make sure their business is smoke free. Anyone can report someone smoking in a smokefree place just by phoning free phone 0800 587 1667. - Smoking can’t be that bad for you. My gran is 92 and has smoked all her life.
Your gran is fortunate,one in two smokers will die early because of their habit. Someone in the UK dies every 5 minutes as a result of smoking. - Smoking isn’t addictive, I can give it up whenever I want!
Good for you, but nicotine hits the brain within 7 seconds of inhaling the smoke, that’s why many people find it so addictive. Only 3% of smokers give up without help.
If you need help to quit phone ALW PCT Quit line on 0500 STOP NOW (0500 7867 669). - It's OK the MPs telling us to stop smoking in certain places but they can still smoke in Parliament!
No they can’t. Although the Palace of Westminster has a different legal status and separate decisions must be made, the ban has already been applied in parliament. - Smoking will keep me slim and looking good.
Smoking may suppress the appetite slightly but it will also age your skin making you look up to 10 years older. - Why is the government spending so much of our taxes on advertising and enforcing the smokefree law?
Smoking is the single greatest public health problem in the UK. Smoking related illnesses cost more than £1.7 billion across the NHS in 2004. - The smokefree law won’t stop anybody smoking, it just means everyone will have to stand outside in the rain to smoke.
One in five people plan to quit on July 1st, if all were successful 1.25million lives would be saved. This is the equivalent of nobody dying in England and Wales for two years. - Going smokefree will never work people will still want to smoke when they go out for a drink.
California, New York State, Norway, Sweden , Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have all introduced the smoking ban. Within 3 years overall compliance of the ban is at 95% in Ireland. Many bars have also built outside shelters with heating so the possibility to smoke and drink is still available. - Going smokefree won’t matter at work, there is a staff smoking room already.
This is not the case. Going smokefree extends across all public places including the workplace. Staff smoking rooms and indoor smoking areas will no longer be allowed. - With shisha bars effectively being outlawed aren’t ethnic minorities taking the brunt of the ban?
Although shisha is seen to be less harmful than smoking cigarettes, in actual fact there can be up to 200 times as much secondhand smoke produced than by cigarettes. This is why experts from across the Middle East have urged for the new legislation to include shisha. - Pubs will have to close due to the loss of custom when the smokers stay away.
Although it has been claimed that businesses will suffer after July 1st, there is little evidence to back it up. With less than 1 in 4 adults smoking it is unlikely that the new restrictions will effect pub trade, it may even encourage those who were previously put off by the smoky atmosphere. - I cant afford to give up smoking, those patches cost a fortune!
Help to quit the habit is now available through the PCT, Doctors and Pharmacies at prescription prices. If you smoke 20 a day you will save over £1800 a year when you quit. - If people can’t smoke while they are out they will smoke more in the home. Isn’t that bad for children?
Available research shows that the opposite is true. Smoking in the home is likely to drop after July 1st as many people will give up and more will become aware of the dangers of second hand smoke so will not smoke near the children. - Why worry? So many people are giving up smoking there won’t be many smokers left soon?
Yes a lot of people are managing to quit the habit but in the UK 450 young people take up smoking every day and 80 per cent of adult smokers started smoking before they were 18. - Isn’t the new law a bit heavy handed when a good ventilation system will get rid of the smoke.
Ventilation will get rid of the visible smoke but tests have shown that it doesn’t remove the toxic chemicals which are so harmful to health but because you cant see them or smell them you think you are safe but you’re not!
