Consultation
4.In December 2004 the Department published its regional strategy ‘A Healthier Future – A Twenty Year Vision for Health and Wellbeing in Northern Ireland 2005 – 2025’. The Strategy document sought views on three options for strengthening controls on the use of tobacco. In summary these were:-
to build on the existing policy of encouraging and supporting those who choose to give up smoking;
to follow the English proposals which were to prohibit smoking in most public places and workplaces while still allowing smoking in some pubs and bars (those that did not serve food) and to allow private clubs to take the views of their members before exercising their discretion; and
to adopt the approach taken in the Republic of Ireland and Scotland to ban smoking in all enclosed public places and workplaces.
5.There was overwhelming support for option iii.
6.There was a major public consultation on the draft Order and this elicited widespread support for comprehensive smoke-free legislation.
