A leading councillor has hailed a Wrexham restaurant as good example for banning e-cigarettes.
The stance being taken by Frankie and Benny’s at the Eagles Meadow shopping centre is being backed by Wrexham County Borough Council.
According to Councillor David Griffiths, the council’s Lead Member for Health, Frankie and Benny’s at the Eagles Meadow shopping centre deserved credit for showing the way forward.
He said: “I think Frankie and Benny’s deserve a lot of praise for adopting this policy. We have taken the same stance by prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes in all our council buildings.
“We have become very used to pubs and restaurants being smoke free environments and this is very positive step to reduce the circumstances in which non-smokers, especially children, are exposed to the habit.”
Frankie and Benny’s manager Peter Cross is delighted with the positive response to the company’s nationwide initiative.
He said: “Of course, the ban on smoking cigarettes in enclosed public places has been in place for a number of years but I’m absolutely delighted the company has decided to introduce a policy banning the use of electronic smoking devices on all company premises too.
“The reasons for the ban are two-fold. Firstly, although e-cigarettes emit vapour as opposed to smoke, these vapour emissions are yet to be fully tested for their composition.
“Therefore we cannot guarantee they are safe and we refuse to subject our customers or staff to any potential health risk that may come from inhaling vapour from e-cigarettes.
“Secondly, we pride ourselves on being a family orientated business and we want the environment to be welcoming to everyone. The use of e-cigarettes within the restaurant is simply not compatible with the company image.”
He added: “Personally, as a manager I want to ensure the safety of my staff and I don’t think it is fair on them to have to be around the vapour produced by people using e-cigarettes.
“We haven’t gone overboard and stuck signs up everywhere within the restaurant. The no smoking sign at the restaurant entrance has been amended to include e-cigarettes.
“I have had to advise people on a number of occasions, since we introduced the ban, that they could not use e-cigarettes inside the restaurant. I have to say those people have apologised and immediately stopped using their e-cigarettes.
“And our customers that I have spoken to about the issue are right behind us and support the ban. I just think it backs up the ban on smoking and makes it a better environment for everyone.”
For help in giving up smoking visit www.nhs.uk/smokefree
