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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Smoking ban considered for prisons | Smoking ban considered for prisons |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A ban on smoking in all prisons in England and Wales is being considered by the Prison Service. | A ban on smoking in all prisons in England and Wales is being considered by the Prison Service. |
| A pilot project will reportedly begin next spring before being introduced in all other prisons over the next 12 months, with smokers expected to be offered nicotine patches. | A pilot project will reportedly begin next spring before being introduced in all other prisons over the next 12 months, with smokers expected to be offered nicotine patches. |
| The Prison Service confirmed it was looking at possible sites to be "early adopters". | The Prison Service confirmed it was looking at possible sites to be "early adopters". |
| The Prison Officers Association union has long campaigned for a ban. | The Prison Officers Association union has long campaigned for a ban. |
| It has previously expressed concerns about staff and prisoners "forced to suffer the harmful effects of second-hand smoke". | |
| And there were suggestions the Prison Service could face compensation claims from officers who claimed they were victims of passive smoking. | |
| About 80% of the more than 84,000 prison inmates in England and Wales are reported to smoke and tobacco is used as currency on the wings. | |
| The 2007 smoking ban designed to protect people from the effects of second-hand smoke in public places did not apply to prison cells. | |
| According to a report in the Times newspaper, prisons in south-west England, including Exeter and Eastwood Park Women's jail, will be involved in the pilot. | |
| Senior prison staff were said to have been informed of the move in a letter. | |
| "You will no doubt be aware that the decision has been made that the time is right for the prison estate to adopt a tobacco and smoke-free policy to provide a smoke-free workplace/environment for our staff and prisoners," it reportedly said. |