The regulations specify which premises are “enclosed” or “substantially enclosed” for the purposes of the smoke-free requirements. Furthermore, they specify the authorities that will enforce those requirements and they make other provision in relation to enforcement.
Smoking rates in England had fallen from 28 per cent in 1998 to 24 per cent in 2005, which meant around 1.6 million fewer smokers at 2005 population levels. The Department of Health had a target to reduce smoking rates further to 21 per cent or less by 2010, and to reduce smoking amongst routine and manual groups to 26 per cent or less over the same time period (from the 2005 level of 31 per cent).
Furthermore, the health risks from secondhand smoke were set out in the 1998 report of the Scientific Committee of Tobacco and Health (SCOTH). The report recommended restrictions on smoking in public places and workplaces to protect non-smokers and concluded that exposure to secondhand smoke was a cause of a range of medical conditions, including:
Through the provisions of the Health Act 2006, smoke-free enclosed public places and workplaces will become the norm. Virtually all enclosed public places to which members of the public have access in the course of their daily work, business and leisure will be covered by smoke-free legislation, with the exception of some very specific places that will be exempted. In covering virtually all enclosed public places and workplaces, smoke-free legislation will cover trains, buses, taxis, shops, schools, early years settings, healthcare facilities, sports centres, offices, factories, cinemas, pubs, restaurants and membership clubs.
