South Ayrshire Council General Enquiries |
Environmental Health
New Smoking Legislation - Introduction
The Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Prohibition of Smoking in Certain Premises (Scotland) Regulations 2006 came into effect on 26 March 2006 at 6am.
The intention of the new law is to save lives and prevent disease caused by passive smoking. Passive smoke meaning the breathing in of other people’s tobacco smoke which is also known as second-hand smoke or Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS).
Smoking is no longer allowed in any workplace or public place which is ‘wholly or substantially enclosed’. In simple terms this means a public place, including workplace, which has a roof and walls on at least 50% of its perimeter.
Such is the comprehensive nature of the ban in public places that there are very few exemptions to the smoking ban and these are listed in Schedule 2 of the Regulations.
The legislation introduces new criminal offences for failing to comply with the law, and enforcement will lie with authorised officers within local authority Environmental Health Services. Environmental Health also has a role in ensuring that businesses and individuals have the information and advice they require to comply with the law.
South Ayrshire Environmental Health Service is committed to the support of businesses and individuals to achieve compliance. One method of support is to offer advice and information via our web-site. The web-site has been constructed to offer links to relevant partner organisations and our information will be supplied in the style of a questions and answers format.
Several of the answers given are to queries recently made to Environmental Health by local businesses and individuals. Should you have any enquiries then you can contact us by e-mail at environmental.health@south-ayrshire.gov.uk or by telephone or mail at:
South Ayrshire Council
Environmental Health
Burns House
Burns Statute Square
Ayr KA7 1TU
Tel: 01292 618222
Fax: 01292 288755