Council Ban Vaping
One by one, councils are taking a tough line on vaping and ignoring the advice coming from Public Health England
-
by Dave Cross
Share on:
Nottingham floated its proposals in 2015, forcing an ideological position onto over 1,000 of their 9,000 employees – those who were estimated to be current smokers and/or ecig users. The move was described as “bonkers” and “barking mad”.
Chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council's Public Health Committee, Joyce Bosnjak pushed for the authority to ban vaping from all council buildings, land and vehicles. She said: “the jury is out on whether it’s safer.” Then she added that employees were, “allowed a comfort break - they just can’t smoke or vape during it.”
Barnsley pushed through a ban on vaping near schools. Its spokesperson told POTV: “We want to encourage a smoke free generation and make all smoking invisible to children so they don't see it as a regular adult behaviour.”
The council employee refused to respond to our questions regarding the Public Health England recommendations.
Sheffield’s ludicrous ban was implemented at the beginning of October. Vaping was banned from all premises, grounds, courtyards, entranceways, car parks, depots, on any approach to any Council buildings, and in areas opposite council buildings.
Greg Fell, the council’s Director of Public Health said that they “want to help and support our employees who smoke to quit or switch to vaping”, but it’s hard to see how this excessive ban helps achieve that aim.
Dundee has the UK’s largest percentage of smokers but the City Council has chosen to ban its employees vaping anywhere during working hours. Not just on council property or, like Sheffield, near council buildings – they are banned from vaping anywhere.
Dundee’s spokesperson said: “'The council has revised its smoking policy as we are working to protect the health of employees and also promote positive health messages across the wider community, in line with the agreed Our People Strategy and health and wellbeing framework.”
“A key part of that approach involves discouraging children and young people from taking up smoking. One way to assist that is to reduce the number of adult "role models" who can be seen smoking in public.”
“Across Dundee, there has been the introduction of voluntary no-smoking areas at children's play parks and we will be looking to extend this to more open spaces in the future.”
At some point these little bureaucrats need to wake up to the fact that vaping offers a working solution to the problem of tobacco-related harm – one that carries minimal costs to authorities who are starving Quit programs of desperately needed finance.
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
Join the discussion
Parliament Fears Two
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs faced questions from a Conservative MP and, oddly, a member of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
-
by Dave Cross
Harm Reduction For The Rich
The United Kingdom risks becoming a harm reduction country only for the wealthy, according to Michael Landl of the World Vapers’ Alliance
-
by Dave Cross
Sacrificing Health For 2p Cut
Tory Government alienates vaping voters with its mission to cut tax by an unaffordable 2p to attract voters by placing a tax on vape products in the forthcoming budget
-
by Dave Cross
Scotland Announces Single-Use Vape Action
A ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes in Scotland is due to come into effect on 1 April 2025, under proposed legislation published today
-
by Dave Cross
-listing400.jpg)
