Council bans its workers' smoking

Staff at Croydon council have been warned it will no longer be acceptable for them to nip out for a cigarette during office hours. Instead, they have been offered nicotine patches to help them quit.

The news has been met with horror by employees.

One woman based at Taberner House, the council's headquarters, who asked not to be named, said: "It's a disgrace. We work as hard as non-smokers and need to be able to go outside and have a quick cigarette.

"Most only pop outside once or twice a day, and, if you compare those 10-15 minutes with the extra hours we work, it's not asking for much. It's a complete infringement of our human rights."

The council ban on cigarette breaks will come into force in January. The authority has also appealed to head teachers at all its schools to impose a no smoking policy on staff.

Experts believe most companies and public bodies will begin to reconsider their policy on smoking in the new year.

The Government will impose a national ban on smoking in public buildings - including offices, restaurants, cafés, and bars - in the summer, meaning an end to official smoking areas.

But Simon Clark, director of smokers' rights group Forest, accused the council of being petty: "Croydon are jumping on the anti-smoking bandwagon. It seems incredibly petty as well as being classic bad management. If some people think having a cigarette break makes them better at their job, that's their choice.

"If the break is not impacting on the ability of people to do their job, then the authority has no right to dictate this to their employees."

Cllr Steve O'Connell, deputy council leader and cabinet member for public protection and crime reduction, said: "I know the ban will cause some discomfort to smokers, but the point is to put everyone's health first.

"I have no doubt a year or two down the line it won't even be a topic of conversation and we will have cleared a major hurdle towards improving public health in general."

The move was supported by Croydon Unison. Assistant branch secretary, Mervyn D'Cruz, said: "Smoking has clearly proved harmful to public health and, as a union, we have to be in line with this. People can smoke on their lunch breaks.

"It's about compromise. Right now I'm more worried about job cuts and budget deficits."