It is being considered to be banned in pub gardens and outside restaurant areas, small parks and hookah bars.
London, Thanasis Gavos
A ban on smoking in some outdoor spaces is reportedly being considered by the British government as part of the announced anti-smoking legislation.
Specifically, citing government documents, the Sun newspaper reports that smoking may be banned in the gardens of pubs and bars, in outdoor restaurant areas such as gardens and terraces, outside stadiums, hospitals, universities and playgrounds, on the pavement outside nightclubs, in small parks and hookah bars.
The measures would be included in the anti-smoking bill originally introduced by Rishi Sunak, which Keir Starmer’s successor government has announced it will push forward.
A key provision of the bill is to progressively raise the age limit for the legal purchase of smoking and vaping products, so that today’s 15-year-olds will never be able to legally purchase such products in their lifetime.
Asked to comment on the report, a spokesman for the Department of Health said smoking costs 80,000 lives a year, puts huge strain on the NHS and costs taxpayers billions.
“We are determined to protect children and non-smokers from the dangers of second-hand smoke. We are looking at a range of measures to finally make Britain a smoke-free country,” added the spokesman.
Reacting to the news, far-right Reform UK leader Nigel Farage warned that if implemented, the measures would signal “the end of pubs”. Contenders for the leadership of the Conservative Party, moreover, condemned the attempt to create an over-protectionist “governor state”.
The Ministry of Business has also reportedly expressed concern about the effects on the catering sector
Source :Skai
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