Council workers across Shropshire will be able to ask householders to stub out their cigarettes during home visits when smoke-free legislation comes in next month.
Smoking will be banned in all enclosed public places from July 1 - and councils say their staff have a right to work in a smoke-free environment and this should include houses.
The only district where residents will be able to smoke during council visits is North Shropshire.
District council spokesman Ben Proctor said at this time the authority did not have any such policy in place, but may consider such changes in the future.
Councillor David G Lloyd, Oswestry Borough Council leader, said staff at his council would be banned from smoking while at work.
He said: “When working for the council they must not light up, even when working in a household occupied by smokers.
“They also have the right to request the occupiers to refrain from smoking while they are on the premises.”
The ban applies to all employees, contractors and service users and vehicles operated by the council.
Councillor Lloyd said employers, managers and those in charge of smoke-free premises and vehicles would have to display “no smoking” signs, take reasonable steps to ensure staff, customers, members and visitors are aware premises and vehicles must be smoke-free, remove any indoor smoking rooms and ensure the law is enforced.
“They should support measures including the removal of ashtrays from smoke-free areas, developing a smoke-free policy in consultation with staff, offering training to help workers understand the new law and providing support to quit smoking,” he said.
Officers at Telford & Wrekin Council and South Shropshire District Council will also be allowed to ask people to refrain from smoking in their own homes.
Steve Price, South Shropshire’s head of environment and community services,said: “Officers who go into homes have a right to ask people to stop or to ask if they can conduct the interview outside.
“If they won’t then they have every right to walk away. For health and safety reasons, officers have the right not to have to work in a smoking environment.”
By Sue Austin
20 Comments
Presumably then, smokers would have the right to BAN non-smoking staff from entering their home?
Surely the solution is for council workers to arrange to meet householders at the drinking area next to Frank Cafe Bar - this will be a designated smoking area. Problem solved!
Oh come on Matt, can I suggest you think before posting a knee jerk response.
I would love for you to enlighten me as to how allowing a non smoking member of staff into your home could be harmful to your health. Home help / health workers should be able to carry out their valuable work without potential risk to their own health through second hand smoke.
Makes good sense. If people want a service from a worker in their own home they should be prepared to be mindful of that persons well-being. I’ve asked people to stop smoking when visiting them and, if they’ve refused, I’ve left and asked them to visit me at the office instead. I’ve never had any complaints.
Im a smoker and i dont mind if someone asks me not to smoke, but there removing smoking shelters etc from outside work places there not in the building etc, so wheres the problem? I think there taking it too far now. The government would loose alot of our money if we didnt smoke. So then taxes would go up and everyone gets punished wheres the logic?
This country gets worse day by day.I can’t wait to see what the government are going to do to get funding for the NHS and other things when everyone in this country gives up smoking because they can’t stand being harrassed any more. Let’s see who they blame next!
I really cannot see this happening. The smoking ban has caused such resentment to smokers that there will be so many cases of flouting the ban that the courts will be full of cases relating to this ban.
What a load of cobblers !! This country is becoming a Communist state in all but name !!!
Good one Matt, I’ll Join you, Silly laws coming our way I think but I do believe this is only the tip of the iceberg, If a smokers car comes up for sale is it likely the Garage may refuse to sell it?
Matt, if smokers want any work done in their house, and its a council employee doing the work, then (a), yes sure you could ban them from your home, but don’t expect the work to get done, as (b) they should not be smoking in work time.
SMOKING KILLS (FACT), Yes it is indeed your choice to smoke, but that does not entitle smokers to put non-smokers lives at risk.
I have a lot of friends that are smokers, and they are more than happy to go outside to smoke, or not smoke around me.
IN REGARDS TO MATT!! dont be so silly, I dont smoke and I wouldnt be bothered if a council worker who does smoke entered my home, why would someone want to BAN someone just because they smoke or dont smoke. its you that has to suffer the smoking ban, I dont smoke and will never touch the things and I think its a good idea as it will help people to quit smoking!!
I can just imagine the reaction they will get if they walked into a smokers home and ‘request’ they dont smoke.
Lets face it, most smokers arent exactly reasonable people. They care little for their own lives, they certainly dont care for anyone else’s, not even their own children.
I think this story needs to be stated more clearly.
It seems that council officials will have the right ‘to ask people not to smoke’. That’s fair enough - but it doesn’t amount to a ban on people smoking in their own homes.
The occupier has the right to decline the request, and the council official has the right to avoid entering the house while people are smoking. That way, the rights of both are preserved.
Erm what about the rights of their children??
will the council stop us from smoking in our council homes
Interesting comments about the loss of revenue if all the smokers quit. What about the reduction in expenditure on all their treatments when they get sick from it though?
All smokers should be forced to take out private health care to cover them when they get sick. That way they would get to realise just exactly how much it costs to treat them, and all us non smokers would be able to get an operation when needed. We’d also be able to get into the hospitals without having to walk through a wall of smoke generated by the fools who can only manage to walk 2 feet outside the door to light up.
i agree with ian payne it’s a load of cobblers!
i dont think they should ban smoking in homes because wre do you think the government gets their money from i dont thinkl they should ban smoking and i know lots of smokers and i dont get effected by it and they are more healthier than most people i know!!!
In response to Dave’s comments about garages refusing to sell cars from smokers - this may soon be happening! A garage near us recently reduced the price of a car they couldn’t get rid of because a smoker had owned it - the smell was so bad they still couldn’t sell it. Hate to think what nasty chemicals had been left behind…
where does this leave the home carers and how will this fit into the mental capacities act etc. i am not a smoker yet care for several people in the community who are heavy smokers and dependant on medication/medical/domiciliary support to enable them to live in the community like you and I but certainly do not have the mental capacity to understand all of this and indeed insisting on them following it will put people like myself Who Care About People at risk as they will see us as being funny buggers so what do we do? do we say we will not be able to come and get you fed, or give you medication, or see that you are ok and not in danger etc because you have been smoking less than 20 minutes ago or are smoking. how would you feel if it was one of your family. where does this leave us THE CARE WORKERS do we claim our rights not to carry out our duty and leave people without medication, changing incontinance aids, food and drink WITHOUT THE RISK OF BEING DISCIPLINED OR OUTCASTE, OR DO WE HAVE TO GIVE UP OUR RIGHTS IN ORDER TO DO OUR JOB IN OUR WORKPLACE , WHICH IS THEIR HOME