NI Goes Smoke-Free Monday 30 April 2007

From Monday 30 April 2007 legislation will come into effect which will make it against the law to smoke in most enclosed public places and workplaces.

The law is intended to protect people from exposure to second-hand smoke, which can increase the risk of a number of diseases. It will be enforced by your local district council.

How will premises be affected?

Most indoor areas in enclosed public places and workplaces will have to be smoke-free from 30^th April 2007, including premises within the voluntary and charitable sector where people work and members of the public go such as:

• offices,
• shops,
• community centres and
• workshops.

The law will also require that “substantially enclosed” premises are smoke-free. A substantially enclosed premise is a structure with a roof and more than 50% of the sides enclosed by walls or other structures which serve the purpose of walls.

You should consider this rule if you intend to create an external smoking area for staff or clients. The Environmental Health Department in your local council will be able to give advice on whether or not a proposed smoking shelter is open enough to comply with the 50% rule.

Signage

You must display no smoking signs at the entrances to your premises, indicating that they are smoke-free and that it is against the law to smoke there. Free signs can be downloaded from www.spacetobreathe.org.uk.

If you are downloading a sign from the website it must be printed in colour to comply with the law.

Work vehicles

The new legislation will also require that work vehicles used to transport members of the public are smoke-free. This could include a minibus used in connection with your organisation, even if people don’t pay to use it.

Work vehicles used by more than one person, even if they do so at different times, must also be smoke-free.

Smoke-free work vehicles will also be required to display no smoking signs. These can also be downloaded in colour from www.spacetobreathe.org.uk.

Smoke-free Legislation Checklist

• Ensure that you have identified the areas of your business which smoke-free legislation applies - remember work vehicles.
• Develop a smoke-free policy and communicate this to your staff. (Template smoke-free policies are available from smoke-free officers in your local council)
• Ensure you have procedures in place to deal with people who smoke on your premises (Sample guidelines available from local councils)
• Keep a record of any incidents of smoking detailing: the date and time, who dealt with the incident and how it was dealt with.
• Remember the 50% rule if you decide to create an external smoking area.
• Ensure you have the correct signs in the right place