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Legislation has been passed that bans smoking in most workplaces and public spaces throughout the UK, including Churches, Places of Worship and community halls and similar buildings.
The health effects of tobacco smoke are well known. Passive smoking (breathing in another person's tobacco smoke) not only causes discomfort, but this 'second hand smoke' can also affect a person's health.
Similarly, smoker's materials can be attributed to many accidental fires in premises, which is historically the primary reason why many Churches and Places of Worship have already implemented a no smoking policy.
The smoking bans affect all Churches and Places of Worship and the primary action required is to display appropriate signs.
Signs
No-smoking signs need to be on display to inform people that there is a prohibition on smoking on the premises. There is no exemption for Churches and Places of Worship or listed buildings of any grade or category.
The rules vary throughout the different regions about the exact size and location of these signs, but in general the signs always include the internationally recognised 'no smoking' symbol. The signs have to be situated where they can be seen, often in the entrance area, and might need to include certain text or wording that has been set out in the legislation (such as in Wales, the text is in both English and Welsh).
 The internationally recognised "no smoking" sign must be on display.
It is also likely to be beneficial to display additional signs as reminders in other some areas of the building, including where people might find an opportunity to smoke undetected such as toilets and store cupboards. This is especially critical where flammable materials are stored or places where smoking may be seen as "permitted".
Policy
Many Churches and Places of Worship have had a policy of not smoking on the premises for some time, even if this was only an informal arrangement. It might be found to be beneficial to include a written policy within, for example, the Health and Safety Policy.
Not only should the policy prohibit smoking in line with the legislation, but it would be useful to have some guidelines on dealing with people that do smoke in the building. Initially, this might include informing someone of the no-smoking policy and politely requesting the person stops smoking or continues outside. The legislation makes it an offence to allow people to smoke on the premises.
In larger premises (especially those buildings visited by members of the public as a tourist attraction), it might be of benefit to provide suitable places outside of the building for smokers. These should be clearly identified and provided with suitable bins and ashtrays, which need to be emptied regularly to avoid the build-up of ash and other waste.
Some parts of the premises (especially toilets) might be used by people who wish to smoke within the building. These areas should be checked regularly if there is knowledge of this happening, or there is a perceived risk of this happening in the future. Alarm units are available to detect the presence of tobacco smoke and provide an audible warning, however, these are not a substitute for vigilance.
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