Smoking could be banned in pub gardens, outdoor restaurants, outside hospitals and at sports grounds in the UK under tighter restrictions being considered by ministers, according to leaked documents.
The measures are being proposed as part of a tougher version of the previous government’s tobacco and vapes bill, which would prohibit the sale of tobacco to those born on or after January 2009, the Sun reports.
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Secret Whitehall papers confirmed plans to extend the indoor smoking ban, despite some opposition within government, the newspaper said.
It added that under the proposals lighting up would also be banned at open-air spaces at clubs and restaurants, and pavements next to both, as well as outside universities, children’s play areas and small parks.
Ministers could also target vapers as well as shisha bars, it said. The restrictions will not cover private homes or large open spaces, such as parks, or streets.
The tobacco and vapes bill was introduced in parliament earlier this year but fell when the general election was called. Last month’s king’s speech
promised to reintroduce legislation to increase progressively the age at which people can buy cigarettes, though made no mention of an outdoor ban.
Dr Layla McCay, the director of policy at the NHS Confederation, said she was “heartened” to see progress was being made on abolishing smoking.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I’m obviously in favour of measures that help abolish smoking. We have seen from the previous government – and from this current government and indeed from wider society – this strong commitment to move towards abolishing smoking.
“It is absolutely the health challenge of our time. It’s the leading cause of preventable illness in the UK, so we are heartened to see that progress is being made and that the intention is moving forward to really address one of Britain’s main drivers of health inequalities.”
She added: “Ultimately, all of these steps are steps in the same journey, which is towards a smoke-free future for Britain, reducing those health inequalities, reducing the huge problems that are caused to the individual and to society from smoking.
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 second-hand smoking. We’re considering a range of measures to finally make Britain smoke-free,” the BBC reported.
In 2007, under the Labour government, smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces was made illegal across the UK.
According to the charity Action on Smoking (Ash), in the year after the introduction of smoke-free laws there was a 2.4% reduction in hospital admissions for heart attacks in England, resulting in 12,000 fewer admissions to hospitals, which saved the NHS £8.4m in a year.
In the first year after the introduction of the indoor smoking ban there was a 12.3% reduction in hospital admissions for childhood asthma, equivalent of 6,803 fewer admissions over three years.
