Northumberland County Council sites go smokefree
Northumberland County Council has transformed all its sites into fully smokefree areas.
The council's changes to its Smokefree Workplace Policy have been introduced to protect the health and wellbeing of all council staff and visitors who smoke, as well as those who could be affected by secondhand smoke.
The refreshed policy came into action on October 1st 2019, changing the previous boundary of smoking 30 metres away from council buildings to now include all areas of the sites.
The council is offering support to staff to quit smoking, and vaping is allowed outside on council sites, away from main entrances and exits.
Councillor Veronica Jones, portfolio holder for health and wellbeing said, "As part of the council's responsibility for public health, we're committed to creating a healthy environment for everyone, protecting the health and wellbeing of all those who smoke, as well as people who could be affected by secondhand smoke.
"The policy change looks at the issue of where people smoke and not with whether they smoke, although we're fully committed to supporting people who'd like to quit smoking."
Information and support is available for anyone who would like to stop smoking within Northumberland from the Northumberland Stop Smoking Service on telephone (01670) 813135 and at www.northumbria.nhs.uk/stopsmoking