Butt-end of the no smoking ban (From This is Hampshire)

Butt-end of the no smoking ban

7:43am Friday 23rd February 2007

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JULY'S national smoking ban may well lead to cleaner air in pubs but there could be some unpleasant side effects outside, members of Test Valley Borough Council's executive heard.

These include piles of dog ends on street corners near pubs and more noise nuisance as punters drift around outside licensed premises puffing away making conversation with their chums.

While these are only predictions at present, environmental health officer Carol Ruddle, told councillors that she had been in contact with colleagues in Scotland and Ireland.

In both countries bans are already in force and while almost everybody complied with the ban within a month there were these complications. "After a month it becomes a cultural issue a bit like when bans were brought in on trains and in workplaces where nobody would think of smoking now," she said.

"But litter has rocketed with the amount of dog end litter having doubled and the number of fixed penalty notices for cigarette litter trebling."

The council's temporary enforcement officer, paid for by more than £54,000 of government grant, will be able to deal with this problem by targeting offenders outside pubs. In response to a question about noise from Cllr Caroline Nokes, Mrs Ruddle said the experience in Aberdeen had revealed drinkers spilling out onto the streets to keep smokers company.

Reformed cigar smoker, Cllr Mark Cooper, said there was nothing worse than going past a building and seeing a pile of fag ends outside. "But we are rolling back the damage done to the health of the nation by Sir Walter Raleigh."

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