Smokefree premises legislation

About the new smokefree premises and vehicle legislation
From 1 July 2007, virtually all indoor workplaces, work vehicles and public spaces in England became smokefree. All businesses are affected.

The new legislation has been introduced to protect employees and members of the public from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.

A free national advice line 0800 169 1697 and a website, Smoke Free England, have been set up for businesses and members of the public who want to know more.

A Department of Health comprehensive guidance document contains everthing you need to know about the new legislation. Oxfordshire local authorities have also produced a Compliance Handbook for Businesses to provide additional advice on the new smoking controls. This is availailable as a download on the right of this page.

To support local businesses, a series of roadshows took place between April and June 2007 to provide advice and answer any queries about the Smokefree legislation.

We have adopted a light-touch approach to enforcing the new legislation, however fines for non-compliance can be given for:

Smoking in a smokefree building or car - up to £200 fine
Failing to display correct smokefree signage - up to £1000 fine
Failing to prevent smoking in a smokefree area - up to £2500 fine

What to do if you see someone smoking in a smokefree area

A free phone line (0800 587 1667) has been set up to enable members of the public to report possible breaches of the law. This information will be passed to local councils to follow-up as appropriate.

Signs for business premises
Businesses must display the correct 'No Smoking' signs in accordance with the new legislation.

No smoking signs must meet the following criteria:

Signs for premises must be at least A5 in area (210mm x 148mm)
The international 'No Smoking' symbol must appear (at least 70mm in diameter) on all signs

You are free to design and print your own signs as long as they meet the above criteria. Signs can be personalised by changing the words 'these premises' to reflect the type of premises (e.g. 'this hotel' or 'this gym'). Some examples can be downloaded below and printed:

[Please note, it is possible that your printer may resize these images. Please ensure that they meet the size criteria.]

The correct signs are also available to order free of charge from the Department of Health at Smoke Free England or by calling 0800 169 1697.

More information
We have drawn up the following fact sheets to provide more detail on the legislation:

Smoking Legislation - General information about the new rules
Smoking Shelters - Advice to employers who may wish to provide smoking shelters for employees or customers
Taxis - Information about how the new rules will affect taxi companies
Designated Smoking Rooms - Conditions that must be met for designated smoking rooms
FAQs - Frequently asked questions
Compliance Handbook for Businesses

Contacts
If the fact sheets above do not answer your query, or if you would like further information, please contact Community Services on 01993 861060.

For specific advice about a planning issue, e.g. smoking shelters, please contact Planning Services on 01993 861420.

For general enquiries about the regulations, please call the free national advice line 0800 169 1697 or register for regular updates at Smoke Free England.

Giving up smoking
For advice on give up smoking, every surgery and health centre in Oxfordshire has smoking cessation advisors trained by the Oxfordshire NHS Smoking Advice Service. Call 01865 226663 or visit the Smoke Free Oxfordshire website.

More advice for those wanting to quit smoking can be found at the Go Smoke Free website.