Just over a year ago on 30 April 2007, Northern Ireland followed Scotland and Wales in going smoke-free in all enclosed public places, including pubs, restaurants and workplaces. England followed the lead by introducing their own ban last July. This major change in public health legislation meant it became against the law to smoke in most workplaces, public places and certain vehicles.
Marking the first anniversary of the ban, Fermanagh District Council have praised local businesses for embracing smoke-free legislation. According to the Council's Environmental Health Department, who are enforcing the provisions, while the majority of premises were found to comply with the requirements of the legislation, some issues of non-compliance were found. These were mainly in relation to smoking areas. However, following guidance from Environmental Health staff, many businesses and workplaces are now in the process of making amendments to enable external smoking areas to become compliant.
Robert Forde, Director of Environmental Health stated, "The high levels of compliance reflect not only support for the legislation but also the work undertaken by Environmental Health staff throughout the year. Congratulations to all businesses and workplaces who have enabled this new law which contributes to cleaner air and healthier environments for everyone, in particular those people who were previously exposed to second hand smoke."
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