PLANS TO BAN SMOKING OUTSIDE PUBS AND CAFES:
PLANS to ban smoking outside pubs, cafes and restaurants have been announced by the Welsh Government.
Health Minister Vaughan Gething said he is making the commitment to “progress work” on the ban in the next Senedd term.
Anti-smoking charity Ash Wales said it welcomed the move which would further protect non-smokers from the effects of second-hand smoke.
However, pro-smoking groups claim that banning it outside could be the “final straw” for venues that are already struggling to survive following the coronavirus pandemic.
An estimated 440,000 (17%) adults currently smoke in Wales, with almost half (45%) attempting to quit in the last year.
In a written statement, Mr Gething said: “I remain committed to making more of Wales’ public spaces smoke free and intend to progress work in the next Senedd term to extend the smoking ban to outdoor areas of cafes and restaurants and city and town centres.”
The statement from the minister outlined how this ban would be part of new legislation which will replace the Smokefree Premises etc. (Wales) Regulations 2007.
The new law also plans to extend the smoking ban to outdoor areas of hospital grounds, school grounds, and local authority playgrounds.
Suzanne Cass, CEO of Ash Wales, said: “In Wales, where 83% of the population don’t smoke, it is crucially important that we introduce measures both to protect non-smokers, but also to de-normalise this devastating addiction and encourage smokers to seek help to quit.
“As lockdown restrictions are lifted and customers, including families with young children, return to the outdoor areas of pubs, cafes and restaurants, it is more important than ever to ensure that staff and customers are protected from breathing in second hand smoke which we know carries significant health risks.”
Keir Lewis, professor of respiratory medicine at Swansea University, explained the risk of smoking in enclosed outdoor seating areas.
He said: “We know there is a direct risk from inhaling second-hand smoke due to the small particulate matter going into the lungs and making people more likely to suffer from respiratory symptoms and narrowing of their airways.
“Moreover, the closer you are standing to someone, the higher the exposure to these fumes and molecules and the higher this risk.
“This risk is especially highest for those working in the hospitality industry who are exposed to second-hand smoke on a daily basis because the effects are cumulative, even if they are outside.”
He said there is also an increased risk of smokers passing on Covid-19 because they cough more often.
“When people cough, we know the droplets spread further than two metres. There is also the risk that those exposed to second-hand smoke are more likely to cough and spread any of their droplets further.
“During these uncertain times, anything we can do in terms of reducing discomfort and risk to others and ourselves, without any harm to others is a really good thing.”
In response to the plan, Simon Clark, director of the pro-smoking group Forest, said: “There is no evidence that smoking in the open air is a threat to public health so this is a matter for individual businesses, not the Welsh Government or local authorities.
“Thanks to the coronavirus crisis, the hospitality sector faces a huge challenge to get back on its feet.
“Further regulations could discourage a lot of customers from returning.”
He added: “The smoking ban was a significant factor in the closure of hundreds of pubs in Wales. Banning smoking outside could be the final straw for many more establishments that are struggling to survive.”
In May, menthol cigarettes were banned across the UK in an effort to stop young people taking up the habit.