Bon Accord & St Nicholas Become Smoke-Free

The Bon Accord & St Nicholas centre has become the first shopping complex in the North East to ban smoking outside its building.

The management team has joined forces with Aberdeen City Council for the smoke-free initiative, which aims to improve the retail experience for shoppers.

The ban covers the Schoolhill entrance up to the pedestrian crossing and starts from today.

Supported by an additional focus on preventing littering, it will be enforced by city wardens who will be carrying out regular patrols.

Craig Stevenson, manager of Bon Accord & St Nicholas, said: “We have watched from a distance as NHS Grampian has introduced a smoke-free policy across hospital grounds, a policy which has been widely welcomed. We have taken the decision to introduce this initiative ourselves after feedback from visitors to the centre showed secondhand smoke to be one of the biggest complaints.

“We are committed to ensuring the experience of shoppers at Bon Accord & St Nicholas is as enjoyable and pleasant as possible and tackling smoking outside the mall will ensure a better quality environment.”

Derek Petrie, NHS Grampian Tobacco Control Coordinator said: “Craig, his team and their partners at Aberdeen City Council are to be congratulated on this excellent and proactive initiative. We know that the 2005 ban on smoking in all public places improved public health by reducing the number of heart attacks and cases of childhood asthma. Extending the ban into these busy thoroughfares is likely to lead to further necessary improvements; 13,000 Scots still die each year from tobacco related illness.”

The area outside the mall’s Schoolhill entrance will be well signposted to inform the public about the new initiative, while mall security will also assist if required. Anyone found to be littering outside the centre risks being issued an £80 fine by city wardens.