Smoke ban exemptions come up for discussion

AN ATTEMPT will be made this evening to start defining which areas will escape the forthcoming smoking ban. One suggestion is that 'living' areas like jail would be exempt.

More controversially, a States advisory group is considering whether smoking should be allowed at the airport.

Other exempt venues could include hotel bedrooms, long-stay hospital wards, nursing/residential homes, worksite 'smoking rooms' and the psychiatric hospital.

A meeting has been convened at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital this evening involving the Smokefree Legislation Advisory Group.

It follows the States decision in March to ban smoking in all enclosed public places and workplaces.

The House accepted Health and Social Services Department proposals for a total ban. A compromise controlling only premises that served food was defeated. The department indicated it would stage a consultation meeting to form a group to discuss possible exemptions.

'We have taken a blueprint from the work they did in Ireland, how it is going to be policed and how to apply the law,' said department deputy minister David Grut.

The focus will be on how the law will be implemented. Organisations rather than individuals have been invited to the meeting. These include the British Medical Association, the Chamber of Commerce, the Guernsey Licensed Victuallers' Association and the Transport and General Workers' Union as well as several States departments.

'This is not about overturning the law but implementing what has already been decided by the States. We have invited 16 organisations with a variety of different views to get a broad response,' said Deputy Grut.

Campaign group Support Our Smokers has been refused permission to attend the meeting, said its president, Peter Leigh.

Deputy Grut added that it would not be appropriate to invite individuals such as Mr Leigh because he was out to overturn the law rather than find the best ways to implement it.

SOS, which is made up not only of licensees but also shop and cafe representatives, has provisionally arranged a public meeting on 11 July at The Bowl. It has invited Vintners' Federation of Ireland president Seamus O'Donoghue and a representative of pro-smoker pressure group Forest and is raising funds to bring them to the island.

'I think the public would accept a ban more responsibly if it had not been a blanket ban. They feel their social lives are going to be affected,' said Mr Leigh

SOS is researching whether the ban could become a human rights issue. It is also planning a protest march ' probably in August.

Today's meeting will include an introduction and welcome by Health minister Peter Roffey and a presentation by Ian Gray, from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, on How Ireland Did It.

Possible exemptions have been listed for discussion and people have been invited to submit prior to the meeting a case for any others.

Discussion on wider consultation will be on the agenda as well as feedback from member organisations.

A source suggested that representatives of several States departments and various organisations, including the Institute of Directors, would attend.

About 200 pubs have closed in Ireland since it introduced a ban, said Mr Leigh.

Guernsey will not slavishly follow Ireland on exemptions but will consider the best options for the island.

In March, the department had no plans to exempt working men's clubs, but said it would accept representations.