ITABmk - No Smoking Ban

Smoking pic.jpg Are you Ready for the new Smoking Ban?
A near total indoor smoking ban in England takes effect on 1 July 2007 – are you prepared? Smoking will be banned in all restaurants, pubs and clubs in England that serve hot food as well as public buildings like offices. A similar ban goes into effect in Wales on 2 April 2007. Scotland and Northern Ireland already have indoor smoking bans in place.

So what are the benefits to being smoke-free?

Passive smoking means breathing in other people's tobacco smoke. The health risks of exposure to second-hand smoke or 'environmental tobacco smoke' (ETS), as it is also known, are clear.

The Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health concludes that:

Exposure to second-hand smoke is a cause of lung cancer and, in those with long-term exposure, the increased risk is 20-30%
Exposure to second-hand smoke is a cause of heart disease, and represents a substantial public health hazard
Exposure to second-hand smoke can cause asthma in children, and may increase the severity of the condition in children already affected
The approach adopted by an employer in developing a policy will determine its success.
It is essential that a smoke-free workplace be promoted in terms of the positive benefits.
Going smoke-free equals cleaner air and better health for staff, customers and the general public, and supports smokers who want to quit.

Organisations wishing to implement a no smoking policy will need to ensure that all departments are involved in the process. Human resources and health and safety sections in particular will be very important as a policy is developed and enforced.

Smoking harms the health of smokers and those around them. Smokers are at far higher risks of strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases, cancers of the lungs, mouth, larynx, bladder, pancreas, kidneys and stomach. Tobacco causes 4 million deaths worldwide each year, and the numbers are increasing fast.

Check out our new standard smoking shelter now available.

UK Smoking Ban Links

Please find listed below useful links on the Smoking Ban laws soon to be implemented in England, Wales & Northern Ireland and the existing laws in Scotland.

General

Action on Smoking & Health
http://www.ash.org.uk

Department of Health
http://www.dh.gov.uk/consultations/liveconsultations

HSE
http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/smoking.htm

England

Department of Health
http://www.dh.gov.uk/consultations/liveconsultations

Wales

National Assembly for Wales
http://www.wales.gov.uk

The Welsh Assembly Government
http://new.wales.gov.uk

NHS Wales
http://www.wales.nhs.uk

Smoking Ban Wales
http://www.smokingbanwales.co.uk

IC Wales – The National website of Wales
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk