Molineux among latest venues preparing to go smokefree
Released: 14 March 2007
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is the latest venue preparing to go smokefree with the help of the city council.
As the nation marks No Smoking Day today, Wednesday, March 14, the club is joining with the council to highlight how its Molineux Stadium will be among the places free of smoke from this summer.
From July 1 it will be illegal to smoke in most indoor places other than private homes. This includes:
- restaurants
- bars
- cafes
- hotels
- theatres
- bingo halls
- sports centres
- shopping centres
- public transport
- schools and hospitals.
The law also covers workplaces including:
- offices
- factories
- shops
- lorries
- vans and other vehicles used for work.
Wolverhampton City Council is working with all these venues to make the changes and is encouraging as many places as possible to go smokefree in advance of the new legislation.
Several have already gone smokefree including the Three Crowns in Ettingshall Park; The Vine Inn at Wednesfield; The Ely House Hotel on Tettenhall Road and The Mermaid at Wightwick.
Wolverhampton and Bilston indoor market halls will also become no-smoking zones from the beginning of April.
Councillor Pat Byrne, Wolverhampton City Council Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “The smokefree legislation will create a new experience for football fans as it will for customers and staff at venues across the city.
“We are currently working with Wolverhampton venues to bring in the changes and several have already realised that it will make it a lot easier for all concerned if the new rules have a chance to ‘bed-in’ before July 1.
“I would urge other businesses to think about doing the same and what better time to do this than National No Smoking Day?”
The council will have responsibility for enforcing the new legislation and will have the power to issue a £50 fine to anyone caught smoking in a public indoor venue.
If venue owners allow people to smoke on their premises they can be hit with a £2,500 fine. Fines are also payable if venues do not display adequate no-smoking signs.
Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust offers a range of support, advice and a two-week free supply of nicotine replacement therapy (subject to medical history) to people wanting to stop smoking. Drop-in quit smoking sessions are held across the city and a stop smoking shop has opened in the link shopping mall between the Wulfrun and Mander centres, opposite The Entertainer toy store. Contact Wolverhampton’s stop smoking service on 0800 073 42 42.
For further information on the new legislation and how it affects Wolverhampton see our smokefree page.
Issued by the press office.