Rookverboden definitief van de baan
De Engelse staatssecretaris van Volksgezondheid heeft aangekondigd dat rookverboden voor de Engelse horeca definitief van de baan zijn. Er wordt van uitgegaan, gezien eerdere uitlatingen, dat deze beslissing gesteund wordt door Tony Blair.
De Engelse regering gaat er vanuit dat vrijwillige beperkingen in de horeca effectiever zijn en sneller ingevoerd kunnen worden.
Een applaus voor Engeland!
Plans for a legally enforceable smoking ban in public places are to be effectively abandoned by the Government.
Health Secretary John Reid, who gave up smoking at the beginning of the year, has told colleagues that he favours voluntary codes by employers, pub owners and restaurants rather than resorting to legal bans on where people can smoke.
He is thought to have been backed by Tony Blair, who is also against a legal ban on smoking in public places.
The moves come as a blow to the anti-smoking lobby which has long campaigned for a ban on smoking in public places. They argue that people should have a legal right to avoiding inhaling smoke in the workplace or when out on social occasions.
Reid has told officials that he thinks voluntary agreements are more flexible and quicker to put in place. He has also said that persuading people to stop smoking is a more effective way forward.
