SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES BAN

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Having installed himself in his local pub to watch England play India, John Vaughan was enraged when the channel was switched over to football just as the cricket was reaching its conclusion. So Mr Vaughan lit up a cigarette in protest. When he refused to extinguish it, staff pressed a panic button behind the bar and a few minutes later six riot police officers wearing protective gear stormed the pub. No action was taken against Mr Vaughan after he agreed to leave. (Source: Daily Mail, Oct/07)

A man drinking in a bar was arrested after refusing to stub out his cigarette. Officers were called to Riskers bar in Scarborough after he refused to leave, North Yorkshire Police said. He said he was protesting against the smoking ban but police escorted him out, arrested him and handed him an £80 fixed penalty fine for being drunk and disorderly. Regulars at the bar reportedly had a whip-round to contribute to the fine, leaving donations in an ashtray. (Source: Daily Mail, Jul/07)

However,

A vicar who lit his pipe in a Kent police station as a protest against the smoking ban failed in his attempt to get himself arrested. He walked into the station in Tonbridge, asked to report a crime and then started smoking. He said he flouted the ban to protest against the erosion of civil liberties. Kent Police said they did not arrest the Holy Trinity church vicar because it was an environmental health issue. (Source: BBC News, Jul/07)

Every family in Britain will face an extra £20 on its tax bill next year as a result of the smoking ban. Treasury figures show ministers expect the ban on smoking in public places to lead to a £500million fall in tobacco duties next year as millions of smokers cut down on their habit or kick it altogether. The predicted black hole in the Government’s finances is equivalent to £20 for every household in the country.

Some experts believe the true cost to new Chancellor Alistair Darling could be even higher if smokers stand by their threats to desert their local pubs, but the Treasury is predicting that alcohol tax revenues will remain roughly the same. The scale of the predicted losses underlines the value of tobacco taxes to the Treasury, which raises £8billion a year from duty on cigarettes, equivalent to more than 2p on income tax.

Anti-smoking campaigners claim the smoking ban will lead to big savings for the National Health Service. But Simon Clark, director of the pro-smoking group Forest, said the Treasury forecasts highlighted the massive amount of tax smokers paid. He said it would be impossible to claw back the losses by raising tobacco duty further since this would only encourage smuggling. Mr Clark said, “Maybe they feel they can handle losses of £500million, but they will have to find the money somewhere. It will be very interesting to see how they play it if the losses get much higher, because the uncomfortable fact is that smokers pay a lot of tax.” (Source: Sunday Express, Jul/07)

Thousands of council staff are being trained to police the smoking ban in bars, restaurants and shops in England. Ministers have given councils £29.5m to pay for staff, who will be able to give on-the-spot £50 fines to individuals and take court action against premises. They will have the power to enter premises undercover, allowing them to sit among drinkers, and will even be able to photograph and film people. Local authorities have been given the power to enforce the ban so it does not consume police time.

A government-funded course is expected to train 1,200 council officers in the next few months with more expected to follow later. Councils will use these fully-trained officers to brief other staff on how to enforce the law as many towns and cities will have scores of officers patrolling public places. The teams will be made up of new staff and existing officers who will be freed up to carry out inspections and offer advice. (Source: BBC News, Feb/07)

Smoking M&S staff have been banned from lighting up in public with their uniforms on show. Bosses barred workers from smoking outside stores a week after banning it inside company premises and vehicles. In a further move, they have told those who go elsewhere for a cigarette to cover their uniforms, so they cannot be linked with the firm.

A company memo says: "When smoking outside, staff must ensure no part of their uniform is visible to link them to M&S, i.e. 'logos' or company name." Another memo, from human resources director Heath Cameron, says: "To protect the image of the company, smoking will not be allowed in areas visible to customers/visitors entering or leaving an M&S building." (Source: Daily Mirror, Apr/06)

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