Inspections Enforce Smoking Ban

Seven months after the introduction of the UK-wide smoking ban, a dozen businesses in Belfast have been hit for breaking the law.

A recent Belfast City Council pre-Christmas crackdown resulted in council officials inspected more than 450 premises – discovering that smoking laws were still being broken.

While most of the offences were structurally related, rather than an out-and-out flouting of the law, officers were accepting no excuses and also found evidence of people smoking inside buildings themselves.

Officials visited hotels, pubs, clubs, restaurants, and bingo halls in the city as part of the inspection and found that people were smoking in entrance halls or smoking shelters that were – crucially - more than 50% enclosed - and therefore illegal.

These businesses will be revisited by officers and sent warning letters.

The officers also checked that the appropriate signs warning people of the law were displayed at the entrances.

Councillor Cathal Mullaghan, Chairman of the Council's Health and Environmental Services Committee, said: "As part of the weekend blitz, our officers checked to ensure that premises were remaining smoke free and that any smoking shelters provided for customers were in compliance with the required 50% rule."

Cllr Mullaghan added: "With the party season in full swing, coupled with the winter months and the associated cold and wet weather, it is important for premises to ensure that there is continued compliance with the legislation.

"Officers will continue to monitor compliance with the smoke-free legislation.

"Monitoring also will be included as part of routine inspections for other environmental health legislation such as food safety and health safety," he said.

(BMcC)