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Sefton Support Group

Smoke-Free Policy

1. Introduction

This smoke-free policy has been adopted by Sefton Support Group with the aim of:

  • Creating a smoke-free environment, including all outreach venues where services are delivered.
  • Protecting children, parents, carers, employees, and visitors from exposure to secondhand smoke and vapour in our office/centre.
  • Supporting volunteers, students, and clients who wish to quit smoking.

This policy provides guidance for all volunteers, students, and users regarding our smoke-free policy and its practical implications. The policy applies to everyone using the premises, including all grounds and buildings, at any time.

E-Cigarettes and Vaping

  • Although e-cigarettes carry a fraction of the risk of traditional cigarettes and can aid smoking cessation, their use is covered under this policy.
  • Vaping is discouraged in early years settings due to concerns about role modeling and children mimicking adult behavior.
  • People with asthma and other respiratory conditions may be sensitive to e-cigarette vapour, making it inappropriate around children.
  • It is illegal for individuals under 18 to purchase or use e-cigarettes in the UK.

2. Rationale

“The UK has made great strides in reducing the harms caused by smoking, but it still remains the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death in England.”

Smoking remains a leading cause of preventable deaths, contributing to:

  • Over 80,000 deaths per year in the UK—approximately 200 deaths daily.
  • One-third of respiratory disease deaths, one-quarter of cancer deaths, and one-seventh of cardiovascular disease deaths.
  • An average life expectancy reduction of 10 years for regular smokers.

Smoking rates remain higher among those experiencing poorer health and economic disadvantage, with prevalence being:

  • Highest among individuals aged 25-34 (25%).
  • Lower in those aged 60 and over.
  • 10.6% among pregnant women nationally (12.3% in Devon), increasing risks of miscarriage, stillbirth, and low birth weight.

3. National Strategy and Legislation

This policy aligns with Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Tobacco Plan for England (2011) and supports compliance with health and safety legislation. The Health Act 2006 bans smoking in all enclosed public spaces, while section 2(2) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to:

“…provide and maintain a safe working environment which is, so far as is reasonably practical, safe, without risks to health and adequate as regards facilities and arrangements for their welfare at work.”

This is the Smoke-Free Policy of Sefton Support Group.