Nottinghamshire County Council Brings In Ban On Staff Smoking
20 April 2016, 16:21 | Updated: 22 April 2016, 09:11
Nottinghamshire County Council has become one of the first in the UK to ban staff having smoking breaks at work.
Councillors at the authority voted for in favour of the so-called 'Smoke Free' policy at a Policy Committee meeting this morning.
It will also mean the almost 9,000 workers won't be able to smoke whilst on their way to or from the office too.
The authority says it will help promote healthy living to its employees, and could persuade many to give up altogether, which they will help support them through that.
Pro-choice groups have reacted angrily to the news, though, saying it will micromanage staff unnecessarily.
Simon Clark, Director of Forest Voice and Friend of the Smoker, told Capital it's important that people are given the right to choose. He said: "Smokers are well aware of the serious health risks. Are they going to start forcing people to to eat healthier if they're obese? Or monitor how much we drink?
"It's a private health issue and not a public health one, which the council does have a responsibility for. Therefore as long as that employee gets the work done and to the best of their ability, they shouldn't be telling them what they can and cannot do."
