On july 1st 2007, virtually all enclosed public places and workplaces in england became smokefree. this means that it is against the law to smoke in the indoor parts of places such as pubs, bars, nightclubs, cafes and restaurants, lunch rooms, membership clubs and shopping centres. at work, smoking inside has become a thing of the past, and indoor smoking rooms are no longer allowed. public transport and work vehicles used by more than one person are also required to be smokefree. no-smoking signs should be displayed in all smokefree premises and vehicles, to make it clear where you can and can’t smoke.

The new smokefree law has been introduced to protect employees and the public from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke is a serious health hazard, and there is no safe level of exposure. Every time someone breathes in secondhand smoke, they breathe in over 4,000 chemicals. Many are highly toxic. More than 50 are known to cause cancer. And, because 85% of secondhand smoke is invisible and odourless, even though you think your workplace, pub or club is not a particularly smoky place you may be at more risk than you realise.

Medical and scientific evidence shows that exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk of serious medical conditions such as lung cancer, heart disease, asthma attacks, childhood respiratory disease, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and reduced lung function.

The penalties and fines for the smokefree offences set out in the Health Act 2006 are:

• Smoking in a smokefree premises or vehicle: a fixed penalty notice of £50 (discounted to £30 if paid within 15 days from the issue of a notice) or a fine by a court not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale (up to £200)
• Failure to display no smoking signs in smokefree premises and vehicles as required by the new law: a fixed penalty notice of £200 (discounted to £150 if paid within 15 days from the issue of a notice) or a fine by a court not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale (up to £1000)
• Failing to prevent smoking in a smokefree premises or vehicle: a fine by a court not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale (up to £2500)