Smokefree News Item

Have you signed your bus shelters?

The new smokefree law that comes into effect in England on 1^st July 2007 will apply to virtually all ‘enclosed’ and ‘substantially enclosed’ public places and workplaces. If you are responsible for bus shelters these may be among the premises designated as no smoking premises, leading to an obligation to provide the legally required signs. There are substantial financial penalties for not providing the required signage and for not enforcing the legislation.

Bus shelters will fall in this category if they are “enclosed” or “substantially enclosed”. Full details can be found on the Smokefree England website where you can also order, free of charge, the specific signs required. The drawings below show examples of a “substantially enclosed” bus shelter, which is covered by the legislation, and one that is not.

Examples of substantially and non-substantially enclosed premises

Source: HM Government / NHS, 2007