HACKNEY'S NO SMOKING CAMPAIGN

HACKNEY council is spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on a smoking ban enforcement and awareness campaign to be launched this week. But is it good use of money, asks Harriet Shawcross


A Post investigation has found that the total cost of the council’s campaign is in excess of £230,000 for two years.

A public relations blitz will be launched tomorrow to mark the 100 day countdown to the introduction of the ban on July 1.

Even pro-smoking campaigners argued last night that the expenditure is a chronic waste of money since the ban will be largely self-enforcing. They argue that an obedient Hackney public will defy predictions of widespread non-compliance.

Businesses in the borough will be sent posters and leaflets warning that smoking will be illegal in all enclosed public spaces.

Our disclosure comes after Hackney council admitted last week that it is giving six-figure salaries to its top bureaucrats.

But the council claims its large-scale information campaign and enforcement procedures are essential for the effective introduction of the legislation.

A Council spokeswoman was unable to confirm how the majority of the money would be spent. She said: “We have 10,000 leaflets hot off the press, and we will be running seminars to help businesses affected in the coming months.”

The £230,000 budget also includes translation services in Somali, Bengali and Kurdish.

Meanwhile, an army of council staff will be employed to enforce the ban – but the council has refused to disclose how many additional staff will be employed.

She added: “We hope we will not have to do much enforcement. If you look at the other areas that have banned smoking most people respect the legislation.”

The Post understands that the £230,000 figure does not include the costs of posters, which have already been provided by central government.

Campaign groups warn the spending is excessive and could be better spent on public services.

Simon Clarke, director of pro-smoking lobby Forest, said: “This is a total waste of money, which could be far better spent improving the borough’s hospitals or schools.”
“What we have discovered from Ireland and Scotland is that smoking bans are self regulating. The people who police the bans are the publicans themselves, as they are worried about being fined.”

Landlords claim the council is not doing enough to help them prepare for the ban and some say the costs will force them out of business.

Mary O’Riordan, landlady of The Kings Head on Kinsgland Road, said: “We’re looking to have an extension with a roof over it, to give smokers somewhere to go. All of that costs money, but the council won’t spend money helping publicans.”

“They’ll spend it on training town hall staff to police the pubs. They would be better off if they helped with covering the costs of what we’re doing.”

Anti-smoking campaigners said the spending decision is worth the investment.

Deborah Arnott, director of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said: “This is not about comfort, it is about health. Second hand smoke causes thousand of deaths in England every year.”

“The ban will only be self enforcing if the people who are going to enforce it know about it. This does not seem like a disproportionate amount of money, given the amount of publicity that is needed.”

The Department of Health is providing every local authority in England with a grant to enforce the ban.

Publicans not displaying a no-smoking sign will be fined £1,000 and anyone lighting up illegally will receive an on the spot fine of £50.