Smoking ban in Wales extended

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 smokingrelated 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.

IT is hoped that the European Brass Band Championships will be held at Symphony Hall, Birminhgam in 2022.

The European Brass Band Association (EBBA) approached Brass Bands England (BBE) after Austria had to withdraw from organising it at Innsbruck due to the impact of the coronavirus on its tourist industry.

The EBBA has been in talks with representatives from Palanga (Lithuania) and Malmo (Sweden), who were to have hosted the 2020 and 2021 events as well as Stavanga (Norway) to confirm the Championships schedule for the following years.

The event is scheduled from April 29 to May 1 next year and the main contests will take place on the Saturday and Sunday.

Mike Kilroy, Brass Bands England Chair, said: ”We are pleased to be able to respond to EBBA’s request to stage this great event.

“The Sage Gateshead was not available and BBE are very grateful to Symphony Hall for managing to change their schedule to accommodate them.”

The last winner and the current holder of the European Champion Brass Band title is the Cory Band who won it in 2019.