HEALTH chiefs have set themselves an ambitious target of eradicating smoking in one of Scotland's most notorious prisons.

Plans, already signed off and due to clear their first hurdle this week ahead of implementation, will see efforts to make Barlinnie, in Glasgow, smoke free over the next three years.

It is part of a strategy by the local health board and council, which will see further bans on smoking in municipal play parks, across NHS and local authority estates and some public events.

The habit is banned in all areas of Scotland's prisons with the exception of cells since legislation was introduced in 2006.

The Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005, which prohibited it in licensed premises and other workplaces, lists cells as private residences, meaning they are exempt from the ban.

The strategy, by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) and Glasgow City Council, said it would "focus the majority of actions on activity which targets the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in Glasgow".

The health board said there were "no plans to withdraw smoking at Barlinnie Prison for the foreseeable future". But a report on the strategy adds: "As part of the move to smoke-free prisons across NHSGGC, develop a co-ordinated plan based on current evidence, staff and prisoner consultation to move to a smoke-free HMP Barlinnie."

One source said: "This is very much an aspirational thing and not something that will happen overnight. It is not about banning smoking in Barlinnie or any prison and will take considerable time to achieve.

"We also have to balance this with prisoners' rights. If you are in a hotel and want to smoke you can go outside. Clearly, that can't be done if you are in a prison."

The source also played down the prospect for disorder, adding: "There were predictions this would be the case after the 2006 ban but that did not happen."

According to a report on the strategy, in 2012 37 per cent of adults in the most deprived areas of Glasgow smoked against 19 per cent in the rest of the city.

But it is estimated that within the prison population the number of smokers could be higher than 75 per cent.

It is estimated smoking causes the deaths of about 13,000 people a year in Scotland, about a quarter of all deaths. Tobacco continues to be the biggest single preventable cause of disease and premature death in Glasgow.

A health board spokeswoman said: "The Scottish Government Tobacco Control Strategy sets out a number of targets.

"One of the targets is for local boards and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to have plans in place that set out how indoor smoke-free prison facilities will be developed. NHSGGC is working in partnership with SPS towards developing clear plans by 2015.

"This plan should be agreed by 2015 when work will begin to consult with SPS, prisoners and partner organisations."