Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed the government is looking at tougher rules on outdoor smoking to reduce the number of preventable deaths linked to tobacco use. Responding to reports that smoking could be banned in some outdoor spaces, the prime minister said “we have got to take action” to reduce the burden it puts on the NHS.
Under new plans, smoking could be banned in pub gardens, outdoor restaurants, and outside hospitals and sports grounds. Health experts have welcomed the plans, but the BBC has been told that some ministers have raised concerns about the impact the ban could have on the hospitality sector. Asked about the proposals, Sir Keir said the government was “going to take decisions in this space” and more details would be revealed.
“I think it’s important to get the balance right, but everybody watching this who uses the NHS will know that it’s on its knees,” he said. He said smoking caused 80,000 early deaths a year. The King’s Speech at the state opening of Parliament last month promised to reintroduce the last government’s legislation, which would have outlawed the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after January 2009. It is not clear whether the outdoor smoking ban, first reported by the Sun, would apply to the whole of the UK or England only.
Source: BBC
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