If you have any enquiries that cannot be dealt
with by the information sources here, or wish to make a complaint
or enquiry about something in this district please telephone 01638
719733 or email us at
es@forest-heath.gov.uk.
The smokefree law has been introduced to
protect employees and the public from the harmful effects of
secondhand smoke.
Key points:
- On July 1st 2007, the smokefree law was
introduced. It is now against the law to smoke in virtually all
'enclosed' and 'substantially enclosed' public places and
workplaces.
- Public transport and work vehicles used by
more than one person must be smokefree at all
times.
- No-smoking signs must be displayed in all
smokefree premises and vehicles.
- Staff smoking rooms and indoor smoking
areas are no longer allowed, so anyone who wants to smoke has to go
outside.
- Managers of smokefree premises and
vehicles have legal responsibilities to prevent people from
smoking.
- If you are uncertain where you can or
can't smoke, just look for the no-smoking signs or ask someone in
charge.
Penalties and fines for breaking the
smokefree law
Local councils are responsible for
enforcing the new law in England. If you don't comply with the
smokefree law, you will be committing a criminal offence. The fixed
penalty notices and maximum fine for each offence are:
- Smoking in smokefree premises or
work vehicles: a fixed penalty notice of £50 (reduced to
£30 if paid in 15 days) imposed on the person smoking. Or a maximum
fine of £200 if prosecuted and convicted by a
court.
- Failure to display no-smoking
signs: a fixed penalty notice of £200 (reduced to £150 if
paid in 15 days) imposed on whoever manages or occupies the
smokefree premises or vehicle. Or a maximum fine of £1000 if
prosecuted and convicted by a court.
- Failing to prevent smoking in a
smokefree place: a maximum fine of £2500 imposed on
whoever manages or controls the smokefree premises or vehicle if
prosecuted and convicted by a court. There is no fixed penalty
notice for this offence.
If someone is smoking in a smokefree place
or vehicle, you should alert the manager or the person in charge of
the premises or vehicle in the first instance.
Alternatively you can contact the relevant
local council or phone the Smokefree Compliance Line on 0800 587
166 7 to make a report. This information will be passed to the
relevant local authority to follow up as
appropriate.
Thinking
of giving up smoking?
Suffolk Stop Smoking Service can help with
free advice as well as workshops and 1-to-1 sessions:
0800 085 6037
Smoke free toolkit
Download a smoke free toolkit and get more information on smoke
free action in Suffolk by selecting the link below:
For help with stopping smoking please select the link
below:
For a list of frequently asked questions
(FAQ's) please select the link below:
We cannot guarantee that links to external
websites will work all of the time and we have no control over
availability of the linked
pages.