By C1 Staff
UNITED KINGDOM — Prison officials have been testing the sales of e-cigarettes inside facilities as part of a pilot program that could lead to a smoking ban.
The electronic cigarettes have been on sale at one women’s prison and two men’s prisons for about two months, according to the BBC.
Officials say they brought the e-cigarettes in as a way of preparing the way for what they call “a major change.”
About 80 percent of current inmates smoke, which is allowed inside cells but not other areas of prisons.
“We are looking into whether disposable e-cigarettes are suitable for use in prisons and are currently conducting a trial in three prisons,” a spokesperson said.
The Prison Officer’s Association (POA) began campaigning for a smoking ban in all UK prisons in 2007 after expressing concerns about staff and prisoners “forced to suffer the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.”