Nursery World - Passive smoking: Double standards

It is ironic that the Government is condoning passive smoking by children, says Maggie Jones

At the same time that childminders are to be officially allowed to smoke in front of babies and young children with their parents' consent, the Department of Health is backing a proposal to protect adults from tobacco smoke in the workplace. Odd logic? Not, it seems, to the Government.

The Health and Safety Commission, a Government quango, has recommended an Approved Code of Practice for passive smoking at work under the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974. Failing to follow the Code would not be an offence in itself, but an employer would need to demonstrate that equally effective methods had been adopted to signal compliance with the law. Ways to control tobacco smoke could include a complete or partial ban on smoking; segregating non-smokers; providing adequate ventilation or implementing a system of work that reduces the time an employee is exposed to tobacco smoke. Ministers are considering the proposal.

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