England Joins Rest of UK in 'Momentous' Public-Place Smoking Ban

Jul 02, 04:57 AM

Current Headlines: By Gerri Peev political correspondent

BRITAIN'S pubs and work places became officially "smoke free" at 6am yesterday after England followed Scotland and the rest of the UK in snuffing out cigarettes in most indoor places.

Smokers will now have to light up at home or outdoors in a move that campaigners hailed as the biggest boost to public health since the creation of the National Health Service in 1948.

England is the final area of the UK to introduce a ban, after Wales and Northern Ireland in April and Scotland last March. The Republic of Ireland made the move three years ago.

Alan Johnson, the new Health Secretary, said the ban would improve "health inequalities" across the UK and encourage people to quit smoking.

He added: "I am thrilled my first major announcement as Health Secretary enacts the most important public health legislation for a generation.

"The scientific and medical evidence is clear - second-hand smoke kills. There is no safe level of exposure. This legislation means that thousands of lives will be saved and the health of everybody will be protected."

Mr Johnson said eight out of ten people in England supported the ban, and predicted that, over time, there would be 600,000 fewer smokers.

Sir Liam Donaldson, England's chief medical officer said the ban was a "momentous move" and would prevent the deaths of both smokers and non- smokers.

He added: "We are removing from the air, at a stroke, 50 cancer- causing chemicals, and that's bound to be good news for the exposure to risk."

From October 1, the minimum age for buying tobacco is to be raised from 16 to 18 in both England and Scotland.

Offshore oil rigs, hotel rooms and prison cells are among the few places where public smoking will continue to be permitted. And, unlike in Scotland, actors in England will be able to smoke on stage where it is required for "artistic integrity".

Smokers in pubs across England vowed to defy the law, risking fines of GBP 50, although it is only GBP 30 if it is paid within 15 days. The figure rises to GBP 200 if an individual is prosecuted and convicted by a court.

Businesses failing to enforce the ban could be hit with fines of up to GBP 2,500.

A legal challenge to the ban has been launched at the High Court by campaign group Freedom2Choose, which says the change in the law contravenes the European Convention on Human Rights.

David Hockney, the artist who has been waging a campaign against the ban, called it a "grotesque piece of social engineering" imposed by a "political and media elite".

However, England's decision is a late response to an international trend. Ireland was the first country to impose a nation-wide ban on smoking public indoor places in 2004.

In the last few years, authorities from New Zealand to New York have imposed smoking bans on indoor public places with restrictions imposed last year in Estonia, Spain and Portugal.

Even France has gone smoke-free, although the ban will not be extended to restaurants and bars until next year. And last month, Finland and Iceland started a ban on smoking in restaurants, cafes and bars.

England's ban coincided with a similar measure in two of Australia's most populous states yesterday.

Pub and club goers in New South Wales and Victoria were also banned from smoking from yesterday. But the timing of the move - at the height of winter in Australia - riled smokers.

John Thorpe, New South Wales president of the Australian Hotels Association, said: "The weather is against us. Having this in the middle of winter will have a detrimental effect."

(c) 2007 Scotsman, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.