Welcome to Smokefree Cornwall

Welcome to the Smokefree Cornwall 'one-stop-shop' website - this site has been developed and is operated in partnership with the Council's Environmental Health departments across Cornwall and the NHS Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust.

This site contains important information on how businesses and organisations can meet the new smokefree requirements. It provides links to the Smokefree England website where additional information can be sought. This site also signposts to other Local Authority departments such as the planning, building control, licensing and also cleansing services that can help in relation to smokefree issues that may also impact on your organisation.

1st July 2007 - A Breath of Fresh Air!

From the 1st July 2007 virtually all enclosed and substantially enclosed public space, workplaces and vehicles in England will become Smokefree as new regulations come into force to help protect pubic health. This will ensure a healthier environment for everyone to work and relax in, free from second-hand smoke.

Why are we going Smokefree?

There are a number of reasons why it is important for substantially enclosed environments to become smokefree:-.

The new smokefree law will help improve health in many ways. Being exposed to secondhand smoke can increase a non-smoker's risk of getting lung cancer by 24% and the risk of getting heart disease by 25%, as well as being associated with many other medical conditions like respiratory disease and other types of cancer.

There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

Secondhand smoke is tobacco smoke from other peoples cigarettes and cigars and it contains over 4,000 chemicals in the form of particles and gases - some of these chemicals are dangerous poisons. Secondhand smoke is bad for health - it is known to cause cancer as well as many other serious health problems. Just thirty minutes exposure is enough to reduce coronary blood flow.

The new Smokefree law:-

• recognises a person's right to be protected from the harm of secondhand smoke and to breathe smokefree air
• helps people trying to give up smoking by providing supportive smokefree environments
• reduces illness and the number of deaths from medical conditions caused by secondhand smoke
• improves life expectancy because less people will take up smoking in the first place

Click on the links in the menu bar to your left to find out more about Smokefree, the type and size of signage that workplaces, vehicles and public places must display at their premises, advice on providing smoking shelters for smokers, health facts and guidance and further help on how to quit smoking.

There are very limited exemptions from the new law, as set out in the Smoke-free (Exemptions and Vehicles) Regulations. These regulations include exemptions for bedrooms in hotels, and for care homes, hospices and prisons. In most cases, exemptions do not apply to the entirety of premises, but to "designated rooms", that must meet requirements specified in the regulations.

To contact your local support officer click on the 'Local Advice' link to the left of this page.