York | Archive | 2007 | May | 29

Tough line on smoking

From the archive, first published Tuesday 29th May 2007.

AN anti-smoking enforcement policy for York is set to be agreed next week, ahead of the introduction of the national ban in just over a month.

City of York Council's neighbourhood services panel will meet on June 7, when it will be asked to approve the policy.

In line with Government guidance, the draft enforcement policy calls on officers to give advice and assistance where breaches of the smoking legislation are discovered.

If this advice is ignored or reasonable effort is not made to comply, formal enforcement action will be considered.

Dawn Clarkson, senior smoke-free officer for the council, said: "We've produced this enforcement policy to make sure businesses and members of the public know what action we will take if the smoke-free legislation isn't being followed.

"The policy has also been agreed with the other councils in the North Yorkshire area to make sure that there is a consistent approach across the region.

"Based on the experiences of Scotland and Wales, we're expecting to see high levels of compliance after July 1.

For example, Wales went smoke-free at the beginning of April and no on-the-spot fines have been issued yet. Although we will have an enforcement policy, we hope that there won't be a need to use it."

Earlier this month, The Press reported Ms Clarkson's appointment as the council's first anti-smoking officer.

She will have the power to impose fines of up to £50 for an individual or £2,500 for a business that fails to prevent smoking, once the ban becomes law.

She has been recruited on a one-year contract, funded through money given to the council by the Department of Health, to cover the cost of implementing the ban.

For more advice on the smoking legislation, visit www.smokefreeengland.co.uk, or phone Dawn Clarkson on 01904 551523.