Environmental health officers call for smoking ban in playgrounds

Smoking should be banned in all parks and playgrounds to reduce the chances of children growing up thinking that using cigarettes is normal, environmental health officers have told ministers.

Zoos, theme parks and anywhere else children play should also become no-smoking zones, in a significant proposed expansion of the outdoor areas in which smokers cannot light up.

Smoking has been illegal in enclosed public places such as bars, nightclubs and restaurants, as well as public transport and work vehicles, across the UK since 2007.

But the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health said on Monday it wants local councils to designate any place where children play or learn as a smoking exclusion zone, although adherence would be voluntary, not statutory. Banning it in those locations would also protect children from secondhand smoke, it says.

A new YouGov poll commissioned by the CIEH shows that 89% of 4,300 adults surveyed back a ban on smoking in children’s play areas, while 57% want it to end in public parks. “It is abundantly clear that the vast majority of people would support restrictions on smoking in children’s play areas. We would like to see smoking being stubbed out wherever children play or learn,” said Anne Godfrey, the CIEH chief executive.

“This would not only include children’s playgrounds but could see no-smoking zones extended to public parks, zoos and theme parks. Children should be able to have fun and enjoy themselves without seeing someone smoking and thinking this is normal behaviour,” she added.

Some councils have already moved to try to stop people smoking in some outdoor places. For example, Coventry city council has asked parents not to smoke outside the gates of its 82 primary schools. The policy has gone down well with parents and headteachers, the council said.

Wrexham has also decreed that playgrounds, school gates and bus shelters should be regarded as smoke-free places, while Nottingham city council seeks to ensure that all its outdoor attractions are smoke-free for the six weeks of the school summer holidays.

“Public opinion – and not just among parents – has swung heavily in favour of protecting children from exposure to tobacco smoke and from the behavioural cues children pick up from seeing adults smoking. This is a real opportunity to make it easier for children to grow up healthy,” said Jim McManus, the director of public health at Hertfordshire county council.

“Parents and children, when given the choice, are overwhelmingly supportive of smoke-free playground. Local voluntary schemes have been popular. It’s time to give parents what they are asking for. You might feel like this is the nanny state – you’d be wrong,” McManus added.

Forest, the smokers’ rights group, called to the plan “Orwellian”. Its director, Simon Clark, said: “Extending the smoking ban to outdoor parks and play areas would be a gross overreaction. There’s no evidence that a significant number of people smoke near children in outdoor areas, nor is there evidence that smoking outside is a threat to anyone else’s health.”

Clark added: “Public parks are for the enjoyment of everyone, including smokers. Most smokers use their common sense and smoke accordingly. They don’t need government dictating how they behave. The idea that children should be protected from the sight of someone smoking is Orwellian. Adults can’t be expected to be perfect role models for other people’s children.”

The owners of zoos and theme parks, because they are private businesses, should be allowed to decide whether smoking is banned, Clark said.

It became illegal last October to smoke in a car in England or Wales carrying anyone under the age of 18. New figures last week showed that the proportion of adults in England who smoke had fallen to a record low of 16.9%.

Deborah Arnott, the director of Action on Smoking and Health, said: “While the ban on smoking in indoor public places resulted in significant health benefits, thousands of children are still exposed to smoke in the home and elsewhere. Growing up in a smoke-free environment is one of the best ways of ensuring that they are not attracted to smoking and lured into a lifelong addiction and ill-health.”

Environmental health officers call for smoking ban in playgrounds

Female genital mutilation law should be toughened, UK"s top police officers say

Fahma Mohamed (centre), FGM campaigner, ahead of her meeting with Michael Gove, the educaution secretary. Photograph: Christian Sinibaldi for the Guardian

Britain’s senior police officers have referred to as for tighter laws to improve the probability of prosecution of people who carry out female genital mutilation (FGM) and of the dad and mom who let it come about to their daughters.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) argues that the law wants to be altered in buy to increase the possibility of conviction, as police forces come beneath growing strain to bring Britain’s initial situation against a practitioner.

David Cameron has demanded “outcomes” against those guilty of FGM, a practice involving the cutting of girls’ genitals at an early age.

Even so, not a single case has been brought to the courts given that specific laws against FGM were launched in 1983 and 2002, with several specialists blaming the issues of acquiring ladies to testify towards those who have mutilated them.

There are also increasing suspicions that the legislation towards FGM itself might be ineffective. In a submission to MPs on the residence affairs choose committee, Acpo has now proposed creating the law tougher. It argued the government ought to close a loophole that can make it more difficult to prosecute situations where the cutter or victim are not permanent Uk residents.

Acpo also said that the law must make a particular reference to “parental liability”, generating it clear that mothers and fathers who allow FGM to happen to their youngsters can also be prosecuted.

There could also be a separate crime of reinfibulation – the sewing up of a women’s vagina following she has given birth, the organisation explained.

In a even more attempt to increase prosecutions, Acpo stated, it need to be necessary for those functioning in the NHS to refer circumstances of FGM to local authorities, who would then share information with the police.

Asked about Acpo’s suggestions for changing the law, the Property Office said it was not accountable for this region, even though it will take the lead on stamping out FGM and ending violence against women.

The Ministry of Justice stated it was not accountable for addressing the proposals either, though it will shortly seek out views on regardless of whether to introduce civil court safety orders, which could aid ladies who feel they are at threat of FGM.

In accordance to government figures, much more than twenty,000 British ladies are thought to be at threat of becoming reduce every single year. But despite previous government guarantees to cease FGM, authorities have warned that women are not only nonetheless currently being taken abroad to be minimize for the duration of the holiday “cutting season”, but are also being mutilated in Britain.

Health care groups, trade unions and human rights organisations estimate that there are 66,000 victims of FGM in the United kingdom and much more than 24,000 ladies beneath the age of 15 are at chance. Victims can be as youthful as just a handful of weeks outdated.

Right after a campaign by the Guardian, Michael Gove, the schooling secretary, has now promised to create to every college in England about those who are at threat of female genital mutilation.

His pledge was provided as he met Fahma Mohamed, the 17-yr-outdated pupil who was the face of the campaign, which attracted almost 250,000 signatures.

Praising her “inspirational” work, Gove agreed to publish to principal and secondary headteachers drawing their interest to suggestions close to the concern and reminding them of their duty towards schoolgirls.

Justice Minister Damian Green explained: “The government is committed to tackling and stopping the dangerous and unacceptable practice of female genital mutilation.

“As part of this cross-government work, the Ministry of Justice is thinking about recommendations for strengthening the criminal law and will shortly be looking for views on whether the introduction of a specific civil purchase could support defend possible victims of FGM.”

Female genital mutilation law should be toughened, UK"s top police officers say

Taxpayer picks up bill for hundreds of police officers signed off with tension

The highest sick charge was in Derbyshire, which reported thirty officers have been signed off with anxiety, amounting to one.64 per cent of their total amount.

It was followed by a massive metropolitan force, West Midlands, with 1.58 per cent.

And the third highest proportion was in rural Bedfordshire – the fourth smallest force in the nation – which reported one.56 per cent, or 17 of its 1,092 officers.

In comparison, the Metropolitan Police – by far the greatest force in England and Wales – reported 101 officers had been off with tension, amounting to just .33 per cent of their total numbers. Higher Manchester Police, the 2nd greatest, had 71 off with pressure, or .99 per cent of their 7,200 complete.

Knowledgeable police constables earn £36,500 a yr that means the wage bill for the 787 officers would be just beneath £29 million over a yr, or £552,000 a week. A lot of officers earn significantly more, with the pay out scale for a superintendent growing to £72,585 a 12 months.

However, the true value to the taxpayer is unattainable to estimate because there are no figures on how lengthy each and every officer has been off sick.

Spending budget cuts have witnessed the total number of police officers fall by sixteen,000 because the Coalition came to electrical power, according to official figures published last month.

There were 128,350 officers at the finish of September 2013, a drop of virtually 3,500 in 12 months and the lowest quantity because September 2002.

A spokesman for the Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said: “The unprecedented cuts to the police support have meant that officers are under a lot more strain now than ever just before, with 16,000 officers getting been lost in the final 3 years.

“Our members are currently being asked to do more and much more with fewer assets and even though they have risen admirably to the challenge it is inevitable that the elevated pressures they’re dealing with will have an impact on their overall health and wellbeing.

“The Police Federation is doing work closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the School of Policing on measures to fight officer stress and played a crucial part in the introduction of new flexible doing work tips.”

Phil Mason, Derbyshire’s head of human assets, mentioned: “We are amazed that our anxiety-relevant absences are higher than other police forces as we do benchmark overall absence with other forces and there has been no indication that our absence levels are significantly higher.

“Derbyshire Constabulary delivers all workers a full confidential care worker support programme which contains counselling and emotional help. We offer you referrals to our Occupational Support Unit to aid officers with tension-connected problems, recovery and a return to operate strategy.”

Most current figures have also shown the quantity of community help officers in England and Wales has fallen by 859 12 months-on-12 months and police personnel by one,300.

Last week it emerged that police forces could be forced to spend out hundreds of thousands of lbs in compensation to former officers who have won age discrimination claims after currently being forced to retire.

A ruling on test circumstances brought on behalf of 250 officers found that five chief constables improperly utilized police laws to get rid of the officers on age grounds.

Taxpayer picks up bill for hundreds of police officers signed off with tension