A Smoke Free North West Leicestershire

England goes Smoke Free

Smoking in Public Places is now Illegal

New Regulations banning smoking in public places came into force on Sunday July 1st this year. Designed to protect public health from the affects of second hand smoke, these Regulations now prohibit smoking in the majority of places where people work or visit.

Smoke-free premises, places and vehicles regulations
From Sunday 1st July 2007, virtually all enclosed or substantially enclosed public places and workplaces in England are smokefree.

This means that it is now 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 is now a thing of the past, and indoor smoking rooms are now illegal. Public transport and work vehicles used by more than one person at any time must also be smokefree.

How does this affect you?
If you are responsible for a building where the public may visit or where more than one person is employed or works, irrespective if others work there at different times, then you must ensure that your building is totally smoke free at all times.

If you are a member of the public, places that you visit such as pubs, restaurants, or any place accessible to the public that are enclosed or substantially enclosed must be smoke-free at all times.

If you are employed and are not the only person at your place of work, irrespective if others work there at different times, then your place of work must be smoke-free at all times.

If you operate work vehicles these too must be smoke-free at all times if more than one employee uses the vehicle, irrespective if this is at different times.

If your vehicle is used as a taxi, whether this is as a private hire vehicle or as a hackney cab it must be smoke-free at all times, not only when carrying members of the public.

For more information go to:




Offences and Fines
It is an offence to:

• Smoke in a smoke-free place - a fine of up to £200 with a fixed penalty fine of £50
  
  
• Failing to prevent smoking in a smoke-free place - if you are the operator or responsible person in a smoke-free place and allow people to smoke there you face a fine of up to £2500
  
  
• Failure to display appropriate signage - a fine of up to £1000 with a fixed penalty fine of £200

Further information on the signage requirements and downloadable signs can be found at: www.smokefreeengland.co.uk

Authorised officers of North West Leicestershire District Council will be responsible for enforcing the new Regulations.

For more information on Smoke Free NWL or how the new Regulations apply to your business or to you as a member of the public, click here.