NorthLink Ferries is to introduce a ‘smoke-free’ policy for enclosed spaces on all of its vessels operating on the Northern Isles’ routes.

The policy, to be implemented from Saturday, 4 September 2004, will restrict smoking to designated outer deck areas on all vessels and will bring MV Hjaltland and MV Hrossey into line with MV Hamnavoe which has been operating with a smoke-free policy for some time.

Until now the midships bar on both Hjaltland and Hrossey has been the smoking area. However, this has caused difficulties due in particular to the need for passengers to pass through this area in order to access the self-service restaurant, the à la carte lounge and the children’s play area.

Provision has been made for smokers on the aft decks of all vessels, with shelter for use in bad weather.

Bill Davidson, NorthLink’s chief executive, said: “At all times our aim is to ensure the comfort and well-being of our customers and staff while on-board our vessels. A smoke-free atmosphere is becoming very much the accepted norm these days and we will simply be falling into line with the no smoking policies which have been in operation for some time on other forms of transport such as aeroplanes, buses and trains.

“We have canvassed widely before deciding to go for the smoke-free option. The overwhelming response from regular passengers was that they would favour a smoke-free environment.

“The health impact of passive smoking cannot be ignored and with statistics now showing that seven out of ten adults in Scotland are non-smokers we feel it is only right to ensure the atmosphere on-board is as pleasant as possible for all passengers.

“With this in mind, we feel that implementing a smoke-free policy in the enclosed areas of our ships is the most responsible and effective course of action,” he said.