On Jul 3, 9:53 pm, MIG wrote:
On Jul 3, 9:41 pm, "Obadiah Jones" wrote:



As there doesn't seem to have been any comments on this since the ban
came in, I thought I'd share the text of an email I've just sent to
Southern:

"I notice that you have placed an 'it is illegal to smoke on these
premises' sign near the entrance to the Up platform at East Dulwich
station.

Both the entrance ramp and the platform are actually entirely in the
open air, and it is therefore emphatically not 'illegal' to smoke
there.

The fact that you chose to bring in your non-smoking policy on the
same day as the Smoke-Free regulations (which only cover enclosed
spaces) came in to force is, I am sure, intended to encourage a
perception in the public mind that the non-smoking policy at open-air
railway stations is a consequence of the new law. It is not, and I
would therefore request that you remove this misleading signage: I am
sure there are many other open-air stations on your network where the
same thing has been done, so please consider those as well."

From a frustrated weed addict....

Questions rather than answers:

1) If the railways ban smoking from certain premises or trains, is
there some kind of legal force or by-law behind it, such that it would
then be illegal so smoke there?

2) Is it stated (however much it might be inferred) that the ban has
anything to do with the recent changes to the law?

I have noticed that other operators have chosen to ban smoking from
all their premises, enclosed or not, to coincide with 1 July. It's
probably a case of burying bad news (unless one finds it good).

It is much easier to enforce the new law if you say that all
platforms, ticket offices etc are smoke free. The Railways have
changed this using their existing by-laws, so whilst it is not
illegal, you could be prohibited from entering the railway or be
removed by staff or police.