The government has announced that it is considering extending the smoking ban to cover the area outside entrances to workplaces and offices.
The Department of Health has pledged in its publication A Smokefree Future: A comprehensive tobacco control strategy that it will review smoking laws this year, which will include looking at whether to extend legislation banning smoking from enclosed public places and workplaces to cover areas like entrances to buildings.
The strategy document said: “Smokefree legislation, introduced in 2007, continues to see high levels of compliance and public support.
“We have undertaken to review the impact of smokefree legislation in 2010. That review will provide an opportunity to examine whether the legislation is working and where it can be improved, and will also enable assessment of what more can be done to extend protection.
“Particularly, we will look to promote and support smokefree prisons and examine the case for extending smokefree requirements around building entrances.”
The health secretary Andy Burnham, said: “We’ve come so far and now we’ll go even further – to push forward and save even more lives.
“Today’s strategy renews our commitment to virtually eradicate the health harms caused by smoking, and I firmly believe we can halve smoking by 2020. In 10 years’ time, only one in 10 people will smoke.”
