Smoking ban date set
Friday, 1 December 2006 12:00 AM
Smoking will be banned in enclosed public places in England from July 1st next year, the health secretary has announced.
Patricia Hewitt confirmed the date in a statement this morning, saying the move was a "triumph for public health".
She has also today launched a new campaign to help English businesses, including nearly 200,000 pubs, bars, restaurants and other venues, prepare for the new ban.
All offices, factories, shops, pubs, bars, restaurants, membership clubs, public transport and work vehicles used by more than one person will have to prohibit smoking. The Health Act 2006 also means the end to indoor smoking rooms.
"Thousands of people's lives will be saved and the health of thousands more protected," Ms Hewitt said.
"Smokefree legislation will protect everyone from the harm of second-hand smoke when working, socialising and relaxing and will provide a more supportive environment for smokers who wish to give up."
Health campaigners have welcomed the ban, with professor Alex Markham, chief executive of Cancer Research UK saying: "Today's announcement kicks off the final countdown to a healthier England and to thousands of lives saved."
He added: "All employees - including those in pubs and clubs - deserve the right to work in a safe environment. July 1st 2007 will be a truly historic day."
Betty McBride, director of policy at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), added: "Exposure to second-hand smoke by non-smokers for just half an hour is enough to damage the lining of the heart's arteries and increase the risk of a heart attack.
"We are delighted that the hearts of workers and the public will be protected."
Scotland banned smoking in public places earlier this year and bans are also in place in Ireland and Italy, in addition to a number of US cities including New York.
The English ban, which will come into effect at 6am on July 1st, was decided only after months of political wrangling.
The government had originally proposed a partial ban where pubs not serving food and private members' clubs were exempt, but this was scrapped after health campaigners, MPs and the government's own advisors insisted it was unworkable.
Newsletter sign up