No smoking - and no complaints either

Jul 2 2007 by Caroline Innes, Liverpool Daily Post

Liverpool’s smokers accepted the new laws with ‘quiet resignation’, as Caroline Innes reports

LIVERPOOL smokers yesterday accepted the first day of the national smoking ban with “a quiet resignation.”

City council enforcement officers who yesterday visited the city’s 1,700 pubs, bars and restaurants said that this was the worst reaction they had encountered as smokers simply accepted the ban and headed outside.

Heralded as the most important piece of public health legislation for a generation, the ban came into force at 6am yesterday making it illegal to smoke in virtually all enclosed public places and workplaces.

Shops, offices, factories, pubs, cafes, restaurants, membership clubs, public transport, and work vehicles used by more than one person are all covered by the smoke free legislation.

But while the enforcement teams said the ban had been implemented “incredibly successfully” in the city, Liverpool City Council public protection manager Andy Hull warned that landlords and managers must not get complacent.

He said: “We have worked hard over the last few months to ensure that everyone in Liverpool was aware of the new law, how it affects them and what they need to do.

“Support has been provided to businesses and individuals by the council and we were confident that the city was ready.

“We have had around 50 enforcement officers visiting premises throughout Sunday and people are just getting on with it.

“At no point did any officer discover anyone smoking where they shouldn't be. In fact the very worst reaction was one of quiet resignation.

“We have been to these premises at least twice before so people knew what to do.

“We have just had a few problems with things like signs not being displayed properly or signs not being put up in time.

“At the moment we are taking a softly-softly approach and instead of penalising these premises our officers have pointed them in the right direction and actually helped landlords to put up signs correctly in order for them to comply with the ban.

“There will be a strong enforcement presence in the city over coming weeks as we do not want to become complacent.