Smoking police get to work
BIRMINGHAM'S betting shops and bingo halls are being targeted by anti-smoking officers in the countdown to the new ban.
Public health chiefs are stepping up their campaign to make the city smoke-free from 6am on July 1 and are sending out tough warnings to firms they suspect will break the law.
A hot list of premises most likely to allow smokers to light up has been drawn up and includes hotels, nightclubs, betting shops, working men's clubs, bingo halls and pubs in Birmingham.
Officers are making face to face visits warning owners of penalties such as on-the-spot fines for allowing smoking inside and not displaying smoke-free signs.
And locals will be encouraged to snitch on anywhere that hasn't kicked cigarettes into touch.
"Regulatory services officers will ensure that all high risk premises where non-compliance is most likely to occur receive a visit before the legislation takes effect," said a spokesman for Birmingham Council regulatory services.
"High profile enforcement will commence immediately from July 1.
"There will be a national and local hotline as well as email and text systems available for reporting non-compliance."
Birmingham public health bosses have been told that, from experience in Scotland and Ireland, education on the changes in the months leading up to the a new law leads to a higher acceptance and more compliance.
Meetings have been held with owners of city businesses, pubs, clubs, buses and taxis to help them ease into the changes and even go smoke-free early.
Officers have so far visited more than 1,400 premises across the city warning them of the changes.
BIRMINGHAM'S betting shops and bingo halls are being targeted by anti-smoking officers in the countdown to the new ban.
o Public health chiefs are stepping up their campaign to make the city smoke-free from 6am on July 1 and are sending out tough warnings to firms they suspect will break the law.
A hot list of premises most likely to allow smokers to light up has been drawn up and includes hotels, nightclubs, betting shops, working men's clubs, bingo halls and pubs in Birmingham.
Officers are making face to face visits warning owners of penalties such as on-the-spot fines for allowing smoking inside and not displaying smoke-free signs.
And locals will be encouraged to snitch on anywhere that hasn't kicked cigarettes into touch.
"Regulatory services officers will ensure that all high risk premises where non-compliance is most likely to occur receive a visit before the legislation takes effect," said a spokesman for Birmingham Council regulatory services.
"High profile enforcement will commence immediately from July 1.
"There will be a national and local hotline as well as email and text systems available for reporting non-compliance."
Birmingham public health bosses have been told that, from experience in Scotland and Ireland, education on the changes in the months leading up to the a new law leads to a higher acceptance and more compliance.
Meetings have been held with owners of city businesses, pubs, clubs, buses and taxis to help them ease into the changes and even go smoke-free early.
Officers have so far visited more than 1,400 premises across the city warning them of the changes.
