It is not illegal to smoke while driving, although there are laws against smoking with kids in the car, which we'll discuss in more detail below. Not only can it cause you to take one (or both) hands off the wheel—not ideal—your mind may also wander from the roads in front.
Is it legal to smoke and drive? If you are in your own car and any passengers you may have are 18 or over, it is perfectly legal to smoke in a car – but you should not allow the act of smoking to distract you from the task of driving.
In the UK, drivers who indulge in vaping while behind the wheel could be slapped with a £100 on-the-spot fine and 3 points on their license if they're caught. The charges stem from the potential distraction and vision obstruction caused by the act of vaping.
The government is creating the first smokefree generation, by bringing forward legislation so that children turning 14 this year or younger will never be legally sold tobacco products. This will prevent future generations from ever taking up smoking, as there is no safe age to smoke.
The Prime Minister has set out plans to build a better and brighter future for children. This includes the introduction of a new law to stop children who turn 15 this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes and banning disposable vapes.
“'There are no laws prohibiting vaping – however, you need to be in full and proper control of your vehicle at all times.” Driving with your vision obscured by vapour could leave you open to a charge of driving without due care and attention – and worse should you cause an accident.
Lawyer Cathy Tailby said, “There is no law which would expressly prevent an employer imposing a condition that it will only employ non-smokers. As a rule, an employer can employ whomever it wants, so long as it does not breach a statute that outlaws particular sorts of discrimination.”
"It is illegal to smoke in any commercial vehicle carrying members of the public, including taxis and private hire vehicles. The legislation requires all vehicles used for public transport to be smoke free at all times which includes when they do not have passengers.
Eating while driving is actually a lot more risky than many people assume. It generally requires the use of at least one of your hands and can cause you to lose concentration on the road. While there's no specific law about snacking behind the wheel, doing so may infringe on existing motoring offences.
In the UK, it is not specifically illegal to drive while wearing headphones, but if the police believe a driver was distracted or not in full control of their vehicle, the driver could be stopped and penalised3.
Vaping behind the wheel could land you with a fine and points on your license but there's no proper regulation. Here's what you need to know to avoid trouble.
In occasional users, THC levels should drop below 2ug within 7 hours, whereas in heavy users, THC levels will remain above 2ug for up to 24 hours. As a general rule, any consumption of cannabis 7-12 hours prior to the blood test is likely to put you above the legal limit.
In the UK, it is an offence to smoke in a public building and also in cars carrying children. As a result, smoking is not permitted in any of our car parks. See our Terms and Conditions for more information.
Both the police and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) have the powers to stop a vehicle if it is producing a hazardous amount of smoke. Well maintained vehicles should produce very little smoke from exhausts except when they are starting up, accelerating hard or climbing steep hills.
As long as smoking rules are made clear to employees, there is nothing to stop you from taking disciplinary action against an employee who is caught smoking on your premises. The rules could be made clear to employees via no smoking signs and as an example of misconduct in your disciplinary procedure.
Even where employees have committed gross misconduct, dismissing them may be unreasonable. An Employment Tribunal (ET) made that point in the case of a store supervisor who was sacked for smoking on company premises (Williams v Wilko Ltd).
It is completely up to the employer to implement additional smoking breaks. Employees should ideally receive the same breaks at work – unless contracts state otherwise. This includes tea breaks, lunch breaks, and smoking breaks. Employees are entitled to a rest break depending on their daily work hours.
Yes, because you're under the legal vaping (smoking) age and are breaking the law. Just as they would confiscate drug paraphernalia they would likely confiscate your vape.
Court prosecuted cases hold a maximum fine level of £1000. Not Maintaining a Smoke Free Place – (owners / managers)- a maximum penalty of £2500 to the person who manages / controls the area which does not comply with the Smoke Free legislation. A fixed penalty notice is not appropriate in this situation.
What is the fine for smoking in a car with a child?
It is illegal to smoke in a car (or other vehicle) with anyone under 18. The law changed on 1 October 2015, to protect children and young people from the dangers of secondhand smoke. Both the driver and the smoker could be fined £50.
On 4 October 2023, at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced his intention to phase out cigarette smoking in the UK by raising the minimum smoking age from 18 every year until eventually no person can legally buy cigarettes.
England, Scotland and Wales all have smokefree ambitions, England and Wales to be smokefree by 2030, Scotland by 2034 (defined as adult smoking rates of 5% or less). Analysis by CRUK shows none are on track to deliver.
Under the UK government's proposed legislation, anyone aged 14 or under will never be able to legally buy cigarettes or any other tobacco product. The idea is to prevent future generations from smoking, as nine in 10 people say they started the habit before the age of 21, according to data from Cancer Research.
