Member Article

Employers encouraged to shelter as smoking ban looms

A North East businessman is hoping that next month’s smoking ban will see business heat up as the smog clears. Bill Harris launched Smoke and Weather Shelters UK in 2005, after he read about health concerns around passive smoking and the possible future imposition of the smoking ban. With Saturday marking 50 days until the introduction of the ban, he is expecting his products to become even more popular.

Bill approached the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) in 2005, who supported him in building his prototypes, and the company now offers a range of shelters in different shapes and sizes. Although the popularity of smoking shelters is set to increase with the smoking ban, the government is ultimately expecting employers to encourage staff to cut out smoking altogether.

Bill said: “In an ideal world, smokers would all be able to stop immediately. Sadly this is not the case, so when the ban is introduced, we expect employers will want to invest in our shelters to bring some order and tidiness to the inevitability of smokers congregating outside or around their premises.”

David Howell, Director of Operations at the BIC, said: “In the context of current national developments, I think that Bill’s product is extremely flexible and will be invaluable to businesses over the coming months. In the long-term however, the most useful direction will obviously be to help smokers quit altogether.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .