Change to no-smoking signs regulations
The duty to display no-smoking signs in smoke-free premises and vehicles in England is being made simpler.
Since 1 October 2012, at least 1 legible no-smoking sign must still be displayed but owners and managers are now free to decide the size, design and location of the signs.
No action is needed for anyone who is already complying with the current regulations. But the new smoke-free signs regulations, give owners and managers the freedom to move, change or remove multiple signs.
Supplementary guidance for businesses and local authority regulatory officers about the new rules has been issued: ’Implementation of smoke-free legislation in England’. Both this and the existing smoke-free legislation guidance can be found on the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health website.
Smoke-free legislation has been in place since 2007, and it is effective and popular with high levels of compliance. An independent academic review (published March 2011) showed clear evidence that smoke-free law is achieving health benefits.
Most people are now familiar with the law and around 8 in 10 people support it, so detailed regulations on no-smoking signs are no longer needed.
This deregulation has been made as part of the Government’s Red Tape Challenge, which aims to reduce regulatory obstacles for business.