THE GOOD HEALTH AWARD

 

Guidance on the provision of smoke free seating areas
The provision of smoke free areas is an essential part of the three criteria for receiving the Award . The ideal, of course, is for all establishments to be smoke free, especially in school and hospital canteens. It is often argued by commercial establishments that this would be a non-profitable radical change which will reduce clientele and hinder the business. This is often not true, as the survey, Smoking in Public Places, found that 95% of those surveyed supported a smoking ban or provision of non-smoking areas in cafes and restaurants.

Smoking restrictions in public places are becoming more common in many developed countries, with total bans in cinemas, hospitals and most public transport. The provision of smoke free areas pleases both the smoker and non-smoker.
Passive smoking

It is now well known that smoking is the single most important cause of disease and premature death, but few people still know that passive smoking can cause lung cancer, heart attacks and other illnesses in non-smokers. Passive smoking also has acute irritant effects on the eyes, throat and respiratory tract, and can aggravate asthma. Recent research also suggests a possible connection with meningitis in babies and a possible association between heavy exposure to tobacco smoke of women during pregnancy and smaller babies.

Increasingly, people are beginning to take responsibility for their own health and challenging restaurants who do not provide a smoke free atmosphere.

It also makes common sense to provide smoke free areas for your staff. They will benefit from the cleaner environment, in which they work and will be less likely to suffer from the harmful effects of passive smoking. It is also a legal requirement for employers to provide a safe and pleasant working environment and this includes recognition of people's right to breathe clean air.

What can be done if it is difficult to set up a smoke-free area?
It should be pointed out that the Award is not intended to be "elitist" or impossibly restrictive. With a little creative thinking, a few changes carefully approached and implemented may well make the Gold Award feasible.

If there is space for a separate room or partitioned area, then consider this for a designated smoke free area where customers can eat without smoke drifting across from the next table. If this is not possible, then setting aside a portion of the room, say a few tables, should be quite practicable.

If you are concerned about alienating smokers and non-smokers who want to dine together, consider a smoking-room (this need not be much bigger than a wash room) where a person can go to smoke and rejoin the smoke-free table. Make sure the smoking room is well ventilated!

Likewise, establishments which promote 'family lunches' on certain days can make them smoke-free on those days (e.g. pubs on Sundays when frequented by children).

It is important that signs are used clearly indicating smoking and non-smoking areas. Where possible, a division or partition should be used - relying on natural ventilation is not sufficient, as smoke can drift sideways to non-smoking diners completely negating the benefit of a non-smoking area.