26 March is the day when smoking has to stop
Sunday 26 March is stub it out day.
From 6am, the legislation banning smoking in enclosed public places in Scotland comes into force. This includes buildings where people work, go for entertainment and many other locations.
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This is a landmark piece of legislation that will have an immediate impact on the health of Scottish people.
The Council’s Environmental Health Service is working hard with businesses in Edinburgh, ranging from corner shops to pub chains, offering advice and assistance to help them become fully prepared for the law coming into force.
Failure to comply with the law will be a criminal offence. Individuals will be fined a fixed penalty of £50 for smoking in no-smoking premises. The manager or person in control of any no-smoking premises could be fined a fixed penalty of £200 for either:
- allowing others to smoke in no-smoking premises
- failing to display warning notices in, or near, no-smoking premises.
Refusal to pay or failure to pay may result in prosecution and a fine of up to £2,500.
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After 26 March, environmental heath staff will continue to work with the public and businesses to ensure the success of the no-smoking legislation.
All complaints will be followed up and there will be a rolling programme of inspections to all businesses. There is a target of 20,000 visits to be undertaken over two years.
Much of the work to monitor compliance will be undertaken as part of other environmental health routine duties, thus significantly reducing the cost of enforcing the legislation. A dedicated team of four officers will investigate complaints.
- To report a possible breach of the restrictions on smoking in certain premises, contact the Council’s Environmental Health Enforcement staff on 0131 469 5786 or e-mail: nosmoking@edinburgh.gov.uk