Doorway smokers risking fines
SMOKING ban enforcers are warning city pubs and clubs they will not tolerate smokers sheltering in doorways as the weather takes a turn for the worse.
The council's enforcement officers are visiting bars and venues to tell them that lighting up in the shelter of a doorway is still breaking the law. Anyone doing so risks being fined £50 and the venue hit with a penalty of £200.
Doorways are classed as an enclosed public area under the law introduced six months ago today.
The city's smoking enforcers said today they were seeing dwindling complaints about the law being broken.
The number of warnings handed out has fallen to around one a week from a height of four a week in the early weeks of the ban.
Within the last month, two more fines have been handed out to delivery drivers caught smoking in their work vehicles. That brings to four the total number of fines issued in Edinburgh, after a taxi driver and office worker who were fined in the summer.
John Rafferty, the council's senior enforcement officer, said people had generally complied with the law, but he expected the coming winter conditions to cause problems.
He said: "So far, we've been lucky with the weather and people have been happy to stand outside while smoking. However, when bad weather comes during the winter, we're expecting people to instinctively look for shelter, and the first place they will look at is a pub doorway.
"We're going to visit premises and chat with owners, licensees and customers to highlight that by doing this they will actually be breaking the law."
So far, enforcers have carried out 5515 inspections in the city. The 72 warnings sent out include incidents of smoking being reported by the public, evidence of smoking reported by inspectors, insufficient warning signs and illegal smoking shelters.
Councillor Sheila Gilmore, the city's community safety and housing leader, said: "Our most recent household survey showed that more than three quarters of Edinburgh residents are supportive of the ban.
"However, we will continue to take a robust stance against anyone not complying with the ban or acting illegally."
West Lothian, East Lothian and Midlothian councils all said they had issued no fines to date.
In West Lothian, smoking enforcers have carried out 1800 routine visits to pubs, clubs and restaurants, which has resulted in 27 warning letters being sent out.
Midlothian Council said it had issued 11 warnings, while East Lothian council has not issued any.
Health Minister Andy Kerr, said: "So far, I've been really encouraged by the extremely positive response we've had for the smoking ban."
June Leven, duty bar manager at Sofi's bar in Leith, said she was worried there would be problems across the city enforcing the doorway ban.
She said: "I'm glad that the council enforcers are going to go around and tell bars about this, because otherwise it would just be chaos.
"A lot of bars may not have made provisions to provide any shelter for their customers, so at least now they will know about what could happen if they let smokers use a doorway.
"It will be quite difficult to tell customers that they can't shelter from the rain and wind, but then again if it's the law then you have to adhere to it."
Crackdown was like a breath of fresh air to Mike's life
IN the past, asthma sufferer Mike McGregor dared not visit bars at night for fear the smoke would trigger an asthma attack.
But the 66-year-old retired telecoms officer says that since smoking was outlawed in public places, he has been handed back his social life.
He said: "Cigarette smoke used to trigger off my asthma, but I still enjoyed going for a drink with friends. The only trouble was that I used to have to leave the pub early before it started to get smoky at night.
"Since the ban came in, I've found that I can go anywhere and it has made a huge difference to me."
Mr McGregor, from Liberton, was due to attend a reception at Bute House today hosted by Health Minister Andy Kerr.
The event marks the first six months of the ban, with guests including people whose lives have been positively affected by it.
