Welcome for new ban on smoking in public areas
WALES has become the first country in the UK to ban smoking in the grounds of schools and hospitals and in children’s playgrounds.
The Public Health (Wales) Act legislation is aimed at driving down smoking rates in Wales where 18% of the adult population still light up.
Any smokers caught smoking in areas covered by the act could be subjected to a £100 fine.
When the new law was first announced it was hailed by Welsh Government ministers as the most important public health legislation to be launched in a decade.
Smoking is the biggest cause of early preventable death in adults aged over 35 in Wales and it costs the Welsh NHS £320m a year to treat patients with smoking-related conditions.
Minister for mental health and wellbeing Eluned Morgan said: “We are immensely proud to have brought into force this law today making hospital grounds, school grounds, playgrounds and outdoor care settings for children smoke-free in Wales.
“The law will not only help smokers quit, but it will also discourage others from starting smoking in the first place. We’ve seen the impact of the indoor smoking ban and we hope this will be similarly successful.
“This legislation will benefit the health of future generations in Wales, as fewer children will be exposed to smoking and, we hope, fewer will take it up themselves.”
Meanwhile smoking prevalence among young people remains stubbornly high, with around 8% of 15 to 16-year-olds smoking weekly and an estimated 6,000 children taking up the habit every year.
According to a YouGov survey by campaign group
Ash Wales, 81% of adult smokers tried their first cigarette aged 18 or under. Ash Wales, which campaigned for the Public Health (Wales) Act to come into force, believes the legislation will help to de-normalise smoking, prevent young people from taking up the habit and encourage existing smokers to quit. The charity also hopes the legislation could pave the way for more smoke-free spaces, with ministers indicating that a ban on smoking outside pubs, cafes and restaurants could be considered in the future. Suzanne Cass, CEO of Ash Wales, said: “We are very proud that Wales is leading the way with this forwardthinking legislation. For too long smoking has been perceived as a normal lifestyle choice with smokers being able to light up in places where our children play, socialise and learn.”
In an effort to enforce the legislation and raise awareness of the smoke-free requirements, an audiospeaker system with a push button pad is being installed at entrances throughout the newly-built Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran and the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport.
The audio speakers will allow anyone who witnesses smoking on site to anonymously press the button which will play a recorded message to remind people that smoking is not permitted.
Smoke-free enforcement officers will also be patrolling hospital grounds, speaking with any smokers and asking them to stub out their cigarettes.
Matt Lloyd, one of Aneurin Bevan University Health Board’s smoke-free enforcement officers, said: “The majority of smokers stop smoking when I approach them. I then remind them about our smoke-free environment policy and the new law. If somebody refuses to stop smoking, I talk to them about why we have the policy and the law.
“If they are a patient, I can contact their ward manager who will offer them nicotine replacement therapy to help with cravings. It is everybody’s responsibility to support the smokefree policy and up-coming law to make sure we offer our staff, patients and visitors a safe and positive experience when using our NHS services.”
Dr Olwen Williams, vice-president for Wales of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) said: “These changes to the law will protect more people from tobacco-related disease.
“We’ve achieved so much in the past few years, but smoking is still the main cause of premature death in Wales, killing thousands of people every year.”