Hospital smokers risk a £50 fine

Published on Tuesday 3 August 2010 18:14

A SCOTTISH health board last night announced plans to bring in enforcement officers to fine people up to £50 for flouting its ban on smoking.

Dundee's Ninewells Hospital has been smoke-free for three years and apart from in-patients, members of the public are prohibited from smoking outside the busy acute hospital.

In a fresh bid to enforce the ban, NHS Tayside revealed plans to work in partnership with Dundee City Council's environmental health and trading standards section in a 12-month pilot scheme that will be launched on 9 August.

A board spokeswoman said: "The enforcement officers have powers to issue fixed penalty notices to those in breach of the Smoking, Health and Social Care Act 2005 and the Prohibition of Smoking in Certain Premises Regulations 2006 which came into force in March 2006. The law was introduced to save lives and prevent diseases caused by passive smoking." She added: "The officers will also encourage site users not to drop litter, including cigarette ends.

"The officers have powers to issue fixed penalty notices to this effect. The fines are 50 both for smoking in enclosed and partially enclosed areas and for litter-dropping."

Meanwhile, a decision on whether to ban smoking from all of NHS Grampian's premises by 2012 was delayed for six months yesterday amid concerns over enforcing the measures.