Bracknell

A roadshow will be touring Bracknell Forest to help businesses and residents prepare to go smokefree.

All Bracknell businesses and enclosed public areas will need to become smokefree by Sunday, July 1. While many offices and other businesses are already are non-smoking, the most visible area of change will be seen in pubs and restaurants.

The roadshow will include advice on the new regulations from environmental health officers. It will be at:

Monday, May 21 - Charles Square, Bracknell town centre: 9.30am-3.30pm
Tuesday, May 22 - Charles Square, Bracknell town centre: 9.30am-3.30pm
Wednesday, May 23 - Wickes, Western Road, Bracknell: 9.30am-3.30pm
Thursday, May 24 - Sandhurst Town Council, Yorktown Road, 9.30am-3.30pm
Friday, May 25 - Bracknell Leisure Centre, Bagshot Road, 9.30am-3pm.

Local employers can also request a member of the Council's environmental health team to visit their offices to talk through the implications and how best to address them.

The new law applies to all pubs, clubs, shops, hotels, shops, taxis and vehicles used for work - including privately owned cars if regularly used for work by more than one person. Smoking rooms will no longer be allowed, businesses considering building smoking shelters should check with the Council to ensure they comply with the law, including if they need planning permission or changes to any license to sell alcohol. All companies must display approved no smoking signs.

Going smokefree is designed to protect people from second-hand smoke or passive smoking which can cause cancer and heart disease. Smoking is the single biggest cause of ill health and premature death in the UK and kills about 106,000 people every year. One in five deaths is smoking related.

Additionally, the minimum age for buying cigarettes is rising from 16 to 18 in October. While many Bracknell traders routinely ask for proof of age for restricted products, the officers regularly undertake test purchases to ensure businesses and their staff are complying with the law. Later this summer retailers which sell cigarettes, alcohol and other age-restricted products will be offered an e+ card reader, which can quickly verify the date of birth of the cardholder.

David Steeds, Head of Bracknell Environmental Health and Safety, said: "Going smokefree will have a significant impact on many people in the borough and we are very keen to work with local businesses to help them implement the new rules.

"If you have any questions, attend a roadshow or call us and make sure your business is smokefree by July 1."

Bracknell Forest Borough Council