The implementation of the smokefree parts of the Health Act 2006, from 6am on the 1st July 2007, will mean that virtually all enclosed public places and workplaces will become smokefree environments.

This will include offices, factories, shops, pubs, bars, restaurants, membership clubs, public transport and work vehicles that are used by more than one person.

The law will also mean that indoor smoking rooms, still common in workplaces, will no longer be allowed. So anyone wishing to smoke will have to go outside instead.

The Health Secretary said: "This is a triumph for public health and a huge step forward for health protection. Thousands of people's lives will be saved and the health of thousands more protected. Smokefree legislation will protect everyone from the harm of secondhand smoke when working, socialising and relaxing and will provide a more supportive environment for smokers who wish to give up.

"The scientific and medical evidence is clear - secondhand smoke kills, causing a range of serious medical conditions including lung cancer, heart disease, and sudden infant death syndrome "SIDS" in children. This legislation will help to prevent the unnecessary deaths caused every year from secondhand smoke, and recognises that there is absolutely no safe level of exposure.

"Where countries have gone smokefree the impact on the health of staff has been immediate and positive. And the experience of going smokefree in Ireland, Scotland, New York and elsewhere has been good for business."