Golf clubs in England and Wales need to be aware of the new rules that came in on 1 October regarding smoking in vehicles if anyone under 18 is present.
These rules are particularly pertinent when travelling with juniors and clubs are advised to update their Junior Policy Documents and ensure anyone involved in travelling with juniors is aware of the new legislation. It is now illegal to smoke in a car (or other vehicles) with anyone under 18 present.
Both the driver and the smoker could be fined £50. The law applies to every driver in England and Wales, including those aged 17 and those with a provisional driving licence. The law does not apply if the driver is 17 years old and is on their own in the car.
In Scotland a similar law has been agreed (see the Scottish Parliament Bill) which is expected to be brought into force in early 2016 but Northern Ireland is still considering a similar law.
The law applies to any private vehicle that is enclosed wholly or partly by a roof. It still applies if people have the windows or sunroof open, have the air conditioning on, or if they sit in the open doorway of the vehicle. The law won’t apply to a convertible car with the roof completely down.
It would appear from the above description of an enclosed vehicle that this law will apply to most golf buggies and clubs are advised to take this into consideration.
The rules do not apply to e-cigarettes but there are new rules regarding them and these along with the full guidance can be found at www.gov.uk.
By GCMA
