The Smoke-free (Vehicle Operators and Penalty Notices) Regulations 2007

Made: 07-03-2007 | Laid: 14-03-2007 | Forced: 01-07-2007

Overview

The medical and scientific evidence of the risks to health from exposure to secondhand smoke is well established and documented. The Government’s independent Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH) has confirmed that secondhand smoke is a substantial public health hazard, and recommended restrictions on smoking in public places and workplaces to protect non-smokers. Second-hand smoking in public places also includes smoking within a public vehicle, such as a bus or train. This is the area to which these Regulations apply.

The Government therefore introduced smoke-free legislation in the Health Act 2006 with the aim of:

reducing the risks to health from exposure to secondhand smoke;
recognising a person’s right to be protected from harm and to enjoy smoke-free air;
increasing the benefits of smoke-free enclosed public places and workplaces for people trying to give up smoking so that they can succeed in an environment where social pressures to smoke are reduced; and
saving thousands of lives over the next decade by reducing both exposure to hazardous secondhand smoke and overall smoking rates.