By David Thompson

Copyright newsletter

Jon Burrows says Northern Ireland is now the only part of the United Kingdom not to have a smoking ban in prisons, with prisoners allowed to smoke in their cells. Minister Naomi Long has said that an exemption was made for prisons after the 2006 ban on smoking in workplaces, as cells are “considered a prisoner’s home”. She has also floated the idea of creating a designated vaping area in Magilligan Prison, as part of a smoking “cessation” approach. But Mr Burrows has called for immediate action from the minister to protect prison staff – and says there is no reason why Northern Ireland is lagging behind the rest of the UK in protecting frontline workers. The North Antrim MLA said: “It is unjustifiable that prison officers in Northern Ireland who already do a difficult and stressful job must also endure second-hand smoke in their workplace. “The Ulster Unionist Party has been listening closely to the concerns of our prison officers, and we are now demanding that the Department of Justice and the Northern Ireland Prison Service take immediate policy and operational steps to protect the health of those who serve on the front line. “The ban on smoking in prisons across Great Britain has been a clear success, improving the health of both prisoners and prison staff. There is no reason why Northern Ireland should lag behind in protecting our officers from passive smoking. “We have submitted urgent questions to the Department of Justice to determine why Northern Ireland remains out of step with the rest of the United Kingdom on this crucial issue. “Our prison officers deserve the same protection as their colleagues elsewhere, and we will continue to press for swift action to safeguard their health.” The justice minister Naomi Long has responded to the UUP MLA’s questions – arguing that an exemption to the smoking ban had been put in place for Northern Ireland’s prisons to recognise the “unique operational environment” in jails here. The Alliance leader says issues such as Covid have delayed smoking “cessation approaches” used elsewhere from taking effect in the province. In her ministerial response to an Assembly question from Mr Burrows, Mrs Long said: “​The Smoking (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 came into effect on 30 April 2007, with prisons being brought under the same smoke-free legislation as other workplaces. “An exemption was made for smoking in cells on the basis that they are considered a prisoner’s home, recognising the unique operational environment of prisons. “While the health risks of smoking are understood, it was felt at that time that a ban of smoking in cells in Northern Ireland would require the management of large numbers of nicotine dependent people in a secure setting, with associated risks for order and control. “A number of factors, including the COVID pandemic, led to a delay in implementing similar cessation approaches in Northern Ireland that have been deployed elsewhere. “The Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) are, however, in the process of implementing a proof-of-concept for the use of e-cigarettes within an area of Magilligan Prison. This is scheduled for implementation in December 2025 and subject to satisfactory evaluation will inform full roll-out across the wider NIPS Estate”.