Smoking banned in jail from 2008
All prisons in Sweden will by no-smoking zones by 1st January 2008, the head of the prison service has decided.
Lars Nylén, director general of the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, accepted a recommendation to ban tobacco smoke from jails.
"Smoking is a working environment problem. There are laws on smoking, and our staff should not need to be subjected to smoke," said the prison service's personnel consultant Anne-Chatrine Ålgevik.
Älgevik added that it would still be possible for prisoners to smoke, although there would be major efforts to persuade inmates to give up voluntarily. It is likely that separate smoking rooms will be provided.
"We've got one year to find creative solutions," she said.
Inmates serving sentences of at least one year will be offered anti-smoking medication. Staff and prisoners will be given the chance to attend courses to help them kick the habit.
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Lars Nylén, director general of the Swedish Prison and Probation Service, accepted a recommendation to ban tobacco smoke from jails.
"Smoking is a working environment problem. There are laws on smoking, and our staff should not need to be subjected to smoke," said the prison service's personnel consultant Anne-Chatrine Ålgevik.
Älgevik added that it would still be possible for prisoners to smoke, although there would be major efforts to persuade inmates to give up voluntarily. It is likely that separate smoking rooms will be provided.
"We've got one year to find creative solutions," she said.
Inmates serving sentences of at least one year will be offered anti-smoking medication. Staff and prisoners will be given the chance to attend courses to help them kick the habit.
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