The ban on smoking within public places throughout the UK has been lauded as a success three months after its introduction.
A report, released by the Department of Health, found that the vast majority of people are enjoying the healthier atmosphere both in and out of the workplace.
When asked to list top benefits, respondents mentioned that they liked the fact that clothes and hair didn’t smell of smoke and the air generally felt cleaner.
Over quarter of a million businesses have been surveyed since the start of the smoking ban, and almost all of these (98%) have been found to be compliant with the new law.
Also, most businesses have been supportive of the changes: 86% said that the implementation of the new laws had gone down well and almost four in five agree that the measures were “a good idea.”
Further research showed that support for the ban was overwhelmingly positive: three quarters of adults support the changes, while a greater proportion of smokers (47%) support the law rather than oppose it (37%).
Dawn Primarolo, minister of state for public health said: “Today’s encouraging report confirms that smokefree law is not only popular, but that the vast majority of the general public believe it is good for public health.”
“I’m especially proud to hear that nine out of ten businesses say implementation went well and that the majority of people, smokers included, are supportive of the new legislation,” she added.
“The evidence is clear, second-hand smoke is a killer, and removing it from enclosed public and work environments marks the single biggest improvement in public health for a generation.”
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2007
