Liverpool votes for smoking ban
Liverpool City Council has voted to ban smoking in restaurants, pubs and workplaces.
Liverpool, which has the highest rate of lung cancer in the country, is the first British city to vote for such a ban.
The city council will now petition Parliament in an attempt to have its wishes incorporated into the next legislative session.
If it becomes law, offenders could face a fine of £1000 if they are caught smoking in a public workplace.
Andy Hull, the city’s head of environmental health, said the action was taken because more than 1,000 people die of illnesses linked to passive smoking each year.
“An overwhelming majority of smokers and non-smokers support a ban on smoking in enclosed public places and at work.”
The ban has the support of the local business community and the trade unions, the council said.
The decision comes in the wake of a leaked report on Monday that said no infant, child or adult should be exposed to passive smoking because of the health risks.
In March this year, Ireland became the first European Union country to ban smoking in workplaces, including pubs and restaurants.
The Government’s position is expected to become clearer when it publishes its public health white paper. It is thought not to be in favour of an outright ban – the Health Secretary Dr John Reid recently said that a way needed to be found to balance of rights of the “75 per cent of people” who wanted a ban – but some restrictions on smoking in public places is possible.
