Government launches public consultation on plans to ban smoking and vaping in certain outdoor areas
New rules could soon ban smoking and vaping in outdoor spaces(Image: Sinisa Kukic via Getty Images)
Vaping and smoking could be banned in certain outdoor locations including outside hospitals, schools and children’s playgrounds.
The Department of Health and Social Care will also launch a public consultation on proposals to extend smoking restrictions to these areas. Indoor venues, where smoking is already banned, would also become vape-free and heated tobacco-free under the plans.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “No child in a playground or hospital patient should suffer because someone else chooses to smoke. Second-hand smoke increases the risk of heart disease and lung cancer and we want to protect children and the sick from harm.
“Prevention is better than cure, so this government is taking pressure off the NHS and building a healthier Britain where everyone lives well for longer.”
The consultation will examine how second-hand smoke poses risks even in outdoor settings, with children and medically vulnerable individuals facing the greatest danger. By taking action in places where young people visit and patients receive treatment, the government says it aims to prevent illness and disease, reports the Mirror.
Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England said: “People who do not smoke but who are exposed to second-hand smoke can suffer significant harmful effects on their health, including an increased risk of asthma, poor birth outcomes, several cancers, stroke and heart disease. The health risks are greatest for children, pregnant women and people with medical conditions.
“No smoker wants to harm people, but with second-hand smoke they do – and these measures would reduce the harm second-hand smoke causes the most medically vulnerable in our society.”
The consultation will also gather opinions on establishing outdoor boundaries, exemptions, designated smoking zones and methods of informing people about restrictions to ensure the regulations are proportionate and practical. There will be at least six months between any regulations being introduced and them taking effect.
The government has dismissed calls to ban smoking outside hospitality venues – such as pub beer gardens – following concerns it could impact trade.
Business Minister Kate Dearden said: “These are targeted proposals to protect children and families from second-hand smoke and vaping, without placing extra pressure on pubs, restaurants or the wider hospitality sector.
“We have been clear that we will support businesses, and after listening to their concerns, we have excluded outdoor hospitality spaces from these changes.”
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: “No child should have to walk through a cloud of deadly secondhand smoke on their way to the classroom or playground, nor should any patient be exposed to harm on hospital grounds.
“We strongly support the Government’s consultation and the landmark legislation behind it, and we call for urgent implementation to protect everyone from harm.”
Dr Ian Walker, Cancer Research UK’s executive director of policy and information, stated: “We support the UK Government taking action to create a smoke-free future and protect the most vulnerable in society.”