Firms to stub it out for New Year

From the archive, first published Saturday 30th Dec 2006.

Many businesses in the Bradford district have told their employees to stub it out from the start of the New Year.

Companies including Newsquest (Bradford) Ltd, publishers of the Telegraph & Argus, have declared their premises smoke-free from Monday, January 1.

Newsquest, which also publishes the Keighley News, Craven Herald, Wharfedale Observer, Ilkley Gazette, the Target series and Asian Eye, will no longer allow its employees or visitors to its premises to smoke in the workplace.

The ban, which has been introduced with the full support of the company's staff council, will extend to entrances, company pool vehicles and vans.

Signs are being put up to alert employees and visitors to the smoke-free status of the company, which has been introduced ahead of the Government's smoke-free legislation which comes into effect on July 1.

It is legislation which the Telegraph & Argus's Clear the Air Campaign actively lobbied for when it urged the Government to ban smoking in all enclosed public places.

From July 1 all employers who fail to prevent smoking in the workplace could be fined up to £2,500, with £200 fixed penalties for failing to display appropriate signs.

Yorkshire and Humber's Smoke-free - Liberate the Workplace' campaign has been urging business to act now, rather than wait until July, to reap the benefits of a smoke-free workplace.

These include: lower fire risks; reduced insurance premiums; better staff morale; more productive working time; reduced cleaning and redecoration costs; reduced staff sickness; happier and healthier customers and an improved business image.

Campaigners say Yorkshire businesses spend more than £728 million on staff smoking breaks, £188m through premature deaths of employees and £212m in smoking-related sick days and hospital treatment.

Charles Birrell, managing director of Newsquest (Bradford) Ltd, said he was confident staff could be relied on to support and successfully implement the new policy "to make the working environment a better place for all".

Second-hand smoke can cause cancers, respiratory and heart disease in non-smokers, as well as many other illnesses and minor conditions. The new legislation is designed to protect everyone from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.

Newsquest employees who do smoke are being offered help and support and an advisor from the NHS Stop Smoking Service will provide stop smoking' sessions starting this month.

To find out how to make your business smoke-free visit the dedicated website, www.smoke freeyh.org.uk, which has contact details and examples of businesses that have already gone smoke-free, free consultancy visits to help employers and the opportunity to gain good air' awards.

e-mail: claire.lomax

@bradford.newsquest.co.uk