Nottingham, along with the rest of country went smoke free on 1 July.

Nottingham City Council has been helping local businesses to get their workplaces to compliant with the new legislation that came into effect on 1 July.

A busy team have been advising local organisations and distributing Smokefree implementation packs developed by Smokefree Nottinghamshire over the past months.

Smokefree Nottinghamshire is an alliance of the Primary Care Trusts, the seven District and Borough Councils, Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council.

Nottingham City Council’s team have already distributed hundreds of the information packs containing information about:

• organisations’ legal requirements from 1 July;
• how to implement a smoking policy;
• an example of a Council approved, ‘Gold Standard’ workplace smoking policy;
• how to prepare for the changing legislation; and
• a guidance sheet for businesses wishing to build smoking shelters.

According to James Thomas, Nottingham City Council’s tobacco control coordinator, the approach has been to work with and provide support to local organisations to help them comply with the law.

“We offer information and support to businesses and other organisations to help them meet their legal obligations under the new law and the Smokefree implementation packs are part of that activity.

“It has been distributed as part of routine visits carried out by Trading Standards, Health and Safety and Food Standards and via awareness raising events. We have also posted the packs to anyone requesting support and handed them out at local business forums,” he said.

Any organisations seeking advice and support can download a copy of the implementation pack from www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/smokefreetoolkit or call 0115 9156446 for advice.

Signs and explanations of the law are also available from the Government’s website, www.gosmokefree.co.uk, and www.cleanairaward.org.uk.

To discuss any issues of compliance with the legislation please contact James Thomas on 0115 915 6446 or at james.thomas@nottinghamcity.gov.uk