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Over 2,400 premises have been visited in Birmingham since national smoke free legislation began on 1 July last year.
In general there has been a high level of compliance, with just 15 individuals fined for flouting the law and 119 written warnings issued, mainly for improper signage or allowing smoking in a smoke free place. There has been one prosecution.
And a Birmingham City Council survey of pubs found that levels of air pollution have dropped by up to 86 per cent since the introduction of the legislation.
City council officers checked 20 pubs, social clubs and gambling establishments across the city, testing air quality before and after the legislation was introduced nationally on 1 July 2007.
Prior to the legislation, all premises sampled - which were not smoke free at the time - had high levels of two types of pollution (particulates) widely considered to contribute to secondary smoking.
Post-legislation samples taken at the same premises saw an overall drop of 86 per cent for one type of particulate (PM2.5) which can be breathed deeply into the lungs, and which is normally associated with combustion arising from smoking, gas fires and open fires. The other particulate (PM10), which cannot travel as far into the lungs but has the same properties as PM2.5, dropped by 61 per cent.
Councillor Neil Eustace, Chair of the Public Protection Committee, said: "When this legislation began all the signs were that the people of Birmingham have taken the new law in their stride - these latest statistics confirm this.
"Over 2,400 premises have been visited by the council's environmental health team. Our aim was always to educate and advise so that when the law came into effect it would be largely self-enforcing. Our enforcement officers have only received 500 complaints across the whole city in the past year and they have done a tremendous job in ensuring everybody knows the law and how to deal with it.
"The pollution survey emphasises how important the legislation is to protect workers and customers from second-hand smoke, and we will continue to enforce it firmly but fairly. In my opinion this is probably the most important piece of public health legislation since the Clean Air Act got rid of smogs."
The council also quizzed hospitality workers about their health. Prior to the legislation, 70 per cent felt their health was at risk because of exposure to tobacco smoke. Following the legislation, all those who took part felt there was no longer any risk to their health. The survey also found that prior to Birmingham becoming smoke free, only 46 per cent of staff quizzed was in favour of the legislation. In the month after 1 July, this rose to 85 per cent. |
