New tobacco and vapes bill may include outdoor smoking ban

The new tobacco and vapes bill may extend smoking ban to outdoor areas including beer gardens, state recent reports citing leaked Whitehall documents.

It is understood that Downing Street is in favour of a series of measures outlined in documents connected to the planned wider tobacco and vapes bill, details of which were seen by the Sun. According to the leaked Whitehall documents, there are plans to extend the current indoor smoking ban to beer gardens and areas outside football stadiums. It will also apply outside universities, hospitals, sports grounds, kids’ play areas and small parks.

The bill aims to gradually make all smoking illegal by prohibiting the sale of tobacco to people born on or after January 2009, an idea first proposed in the UK by Rishi Sunak’s government, and taken on by Labour. The Bill, that was initially designed to implement Sunak’s plan to phase out all smoking, had no mention of an outdoor ban when unveiled at the King’s Speech six weeks ago.

Ministers could target vapers as well as shisha bars, the report said. Private homes and large open spaces like parks and streets will not be subject to the same restrictions. The new extended bill is reportedly in response to concerns that too many Brits are suffering from second-hand smoke inhalation.

The report further added that a public consultation will be launched over the outdoor smoking ban. The distance someone will be allowed to smoke away from one of these locations is yet to be determined. Like the original Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the outdoor smoking ban, if it is taken forward, is expected to apply to all four countries in the UK.

While health experts backed the proposals, the hospitality industry said it could particularly affect pubs, and anti-smoking groups said it was important to allow some outdoor spaces for smoking, so people did not simply smoke at home, which creates even more adverse health effects.

Kate Nicholls, the chief executive of UKHospitality, which represents thousands of pubs, restaurants and cafes, said a ban raised the prospect of “serious economic harm” to venues.

“You only have to look back to the significant pub closures we saw after the indoor smoking ban to see the potential impact it could have,” she said. Nicholls called on the government to hold a “detailed conversation” with affected parties on the impact of such a ban before any legislation was put in place.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said, “We do not comment on leaks. Smoking claims 80,000 lives a year, puts huge pressure on our NHS, and costs taxpayers billions. We are determined to protect children and non-smokers from the harms of secondhand smoking. We’re considering a range of measures to finally make Britain smoke-free.”