Skills Minister Jacqui Smith has confirmed that the government’s proposed ban on outdoor smoking would mean “fewer places where you can actually smoke”. She claimed the habit was “the biggest nail in the coffin for most people in this country”.
The proposals would potentially ban tobacco use outside pubs and restaurants, including on pavements. The restrictions would come on top of existing plans to phase out smoking year by year. The measures would apply only to England, where public health is devolved. Other countries would decide whether to follow suit.
Smith told Sky News on Friday that the ban aims to create “fewer places where you can actually smoke”.
She said the proposed ban, combined with previously announced plans to ban people born after 2009 from buying cigarettes, would “make it much more likely that people who actively smoke right away will actually want to quit smoking”, protecting their health and the NHS.
Reem Ibrahim, acting director of communications at the right-wing think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, said this week that banning outdoor smoking would be “another nail in the coffin of the pub industry”.
But Smith told Sky News: “The biggest nail in the coffin for most people in this country is smoking – 80,000 people die every year from smoking-related diseases.”
Figures from the Office for National Statistics last year showed that dementia is the leading cause of death in England and Wales, but smoking was a leading cause of preventable disease and death.
NHS data from 2020 showed that more than 506,100 hospital admissions and 74,800 deaths attributed to the habit among adults aged 35 between April 2019 and March 2020.
Smith added: “I think most people now, including in the hospitality industry, would say our pubs and restaurants are much better places because they are no longer full of smoke.”
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Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been in a row with the hospitality industry after signalling his support for the plans, with senior figures in the sector saying they were concerned the measures could create fresh uncertainty in a sector that has suffered “hugely” since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kate Nicholls, the chief executive of UKHospitality, which represents thousands of pubs, restaurants and cafes, said a ban raised the prospect of “serious economic damage” to venues.
“You only have to look back at the major closures of pubs following the indoor smoking ban to see the potential impact that could have,” she said.
Nicholls called on the government to have a “wide-ranging conversation” with relevant parties about the potential impact of such a ban before introducing legislation.
However, health experts have welcomed the ban. Dr Layla McCay, director of policy at the NHS Confederation, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Thursday: “We’re delighted that progress is being made and that the intention is being sustained to really tackle one of the biggest drivers of health inequalities in Britain.”
Although the proposal to phase out smoking was conceived under Rishi Sunak, before he called a general election, the Conservatives have argued that restrictions on outdoor smoking are about “social control”, with Priti Patel – who is seeking to replace Sunak as leader of the Conservative Party – calling them “beyond stupid”.
YouGov Poll conducted on Thursday showed that 58% of people supported the idea, compared with 35% who did not. The figures were almost identical for Conservative voters only.