Smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your health. However, it’s also a surprisingly common habit, with one in eight people in the UK admitting to smoking cigarettes on a regular basis. Yes, in the last couple of decades, the number of smokers in our country has reduced considerably, thanks to shifts in public health announcements and increased knowledge about the cancer risks associated with regular and second-hand smoking. Nevertheless, the number of UK smokers is still high, and their tobacco dependency should be taken into consideration when designing the building plans for your next venture.
A smoking canopy offers a practical and legal space in which your customers or visitors can smoke or vape without risking affecting your other clients or making your venture passable for financial sanctions imposed by authorities. A smoking shelter for a garden will provide a designated, well-ventilated area in which smokers can delight in their tobacco usage without affecting the comfort of non-smokers and the reputation of your business. By offering smokers a separate space in which they can pursue their habits, you can reduce the risk of second-hand smoking and preserve the professional appearance of your venture’s space.
Smoking has a negative connotation nowadays. And for good reasons. It’s smelly and dangerous while being considered by many as a relic of the past. Paradoxically, however, it is also going through a resurgence nowadays, thanks to vaping products, which, for a long time, were pretty much unregulated. As unpleasant as it is, smoking is still part of the reality of daily living for a significant percentage of the people living in the UK. And these people occasionally, need a smoking break, which is where a smoking canopy can step in.
The Best Way to Comply with Smoking Regulations.
Let’s say, for example, you are the owner of a small local business, and you are interested in attracting extra revenue from many different sources. Per the Health Act of 2006, smoking in enclosed public spaces and working environments has been prohibited in the UK since the 1st of July 2007. Sure, that was a great measure to discourage the consumption of tobacco on a national level, and it did have a substantial effect in reducing the number of smokers in our country, from a percentage of 21% to the 11% we can see today. However, the adverse outcome for businesses is that smokers were less likely to visit ventures like cafes or restaurants now that their habit was no longer permitted.
A smoking shelter for a garden will be a compromise that can allow guests to smoke an occasional cigarette while also keeping businesses in line with the indoor smoking regulations active in Great Britain. A smoking canopy can allow your customers to engage in their habit in a protected environment away from the rainy climate specific to the British Aisles. Plus, the benefits do not stop only for restaurants or other customer-facing enterprises. Are you, for example, the owner of a small marketing agency, and do you employ a small team, a bunch of which is composed of smokers? In that case, a smoking shelter could reflect well on your company’s work climate, help reduce litter, and potentially improve the productivity of your staff.
Improve Your Employee’s Working Arrangements
Smoking is one of the worst culprits for decreased work productivity. And yes, it would be great not to deal with employees who struggle with this nasty habit and who require frequent breaks that disrupt their work-related tasks. However, reality and theory don’t always go hand in hand. Suppose you are the owner of a growing business. In that case, eventually and realistically, you will have to deal with the smoking habits of some of your staff and develop a way to keep morale at an acceptable level. Does your staff need to walk away to smoke an occasional cigarette? With time, this will have a negative impact on their work tasks and might even influence their decisions to leave for a rival venture.
Investing in a smoking canopy, on the other hand, might reflect positively on your leadership qualities, as your employees will have a nearby, weather-protected area in which they can enjoy their break in peace. Compared to other, more complex canopy solutions, a smoking shelter for a garden will be a more straightforward construction that will primarily act as a separate space in which smokers can engage in their habit for a few minutes at a time. Therefore, when we consider the construction costs of such shelters, smoking canopies are cheap and are designed to stand their ground against the unpredictability of the UK’s climate or the heavy usage expected in public areas.
An Opportunity for Free Publicity
Like it’s the case with public transportation canopies or old phone booths, the smoking canopy you invest in might provide your company with a publicity boost, as nothing is stopping you from branding your newly installed smoking shelter for a garden with your company’s logo. Plus, you also need to consider the insurance ramifications. Smoking involves fire, and if there is one thing that UK insurers hate more than paying their dues, it is the risk associated with fires started by smoking near flammable materials. Investing in a new smoking shelter could decrease your insurance premiums, eliminate disputes over shared spaces, and, overall, help preserve your workspace’s harmony.
That said, the benefits of a smoking shelter for a garden do not just have to be limited to public businesses or customer-facing ventures. Are you a smoker yourself, and you categorically refuse to pursue your habit indoors? Are you tired of facing the weather while smoking cigarettes, and do you want a better solution to indulge in your tobacco usage? Then, investing in a smoking canopy could be an excellent idea. Small or big, anchored from the wall, or glazed with unbreakable polycarbonate panels, smoking shelters can be designed in accordance with your preferences and are a perfect choice if you want to reduce the impact of secondhand smoke on the rest of your family members.