What is the best way to introduce a No-Smoking Policy

This page is available in Word - to save it to hard drive, right click the links below and click "save as"

The Health Act 2006 makes provision for the prohibition of smoking in certain premises, places and vehicles, declaring them smokefree if they are open to the public or if they are used as a place of work.
There are additional measure which can be included in a Smokefree policy to provide further protection against exposure to second hand smoke.

• Entrances and Exits
• 
  To avoid those entering or leaving a premises having to pass through a toxic cloud of cigarette smoke it vital that smoking at entrances and exits is actively discouraged
  Discouraging smoking at entrances and exits
• Cigarette Sales:
  Companies or organisations who sell cigarettes should give consideration as to whether they wish to continue doing so now that the smokefree policy has been introduced. This is particularly appropriate in the case of cigarette vending machines
1. Identify a rationale for the policy - why do you want to have a policy?
   See model policy
2. Define the aims of the policy - what do you hope having the policy will achieve?
   See model policy
3. Inform the staff of your plans. This stage is sometimes called consultation. The health, safety and welfare of your employees and customers depend on protecting them from secondhand smoke - your consultation should involve how the policy will be implemented and the health benefits they will gain.
4. Raise awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoking
   Health Risks of Secondhand Smoking - Adults
   Health Risks of Secondhand Smoking - Children
5. Provide information to support smokers who wish to quit
   How do I provide stop smoking advice to smokers who want to quit?
   Understanding smokers
   Helping smokers quit
   Benefits of stopping smoking
   Therapies to help smokers quit
6. Prepare a draft policy
   See model policy
7. Do a final check, will the policy work; do you anticipate any problems?
8. Announce a date to implement the policy and communicate this to all staff
9. Implement the policy
10. Monitor and review the policy - is the policy working, are there any problems and if so how will you deal with them?

To ease the introduction of a policy the following points are important:

• Allow sufficient time for people to prepare for the implementation of the new policy. In compliance with section 49 of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978, at least 12 weeks notice should be given before introducing a new rule.
• When notifying the date of implementation, ensure that smokers are aware of the help available to support them to give up smoking should they wish to do so
• Publicise the policy to all who need to know
• Display the policy in a prominent position
• Place clearly visible No Smoking signs and notices where most needed to ensure compliance with the policy.
• Implementing the no-smoking policy means that agreed sanctions for breaching it come into force.
  
• The NCAA does not support the provision of external smoking shelters. If shelters are provided they should
• Be positioned to avoid non-smokers' exposure to secondhand smoke
• Have appropriate bins for the disposal of cigarette butts

The National Clean Air Award recommends that companies or organisation take care to ensure that they do not appear to be promoting smoking; the first sight to greet staff, clients, customers, visitors or patients should not be a group of smokers.

• Ensure that the no-smoking policy is written into all the relevant documentation