A ban on smoking outside pubs is being considered by the Government, Health Secretary Wes Streeting explained at Labour’s annual conference.
He called for a “national debate” about the prospect of taking this step.
Restrictions are being considered by the Government as part of a range of measures which will be set out shortly, he said.
Ministers are examining what can be done to help smokers quit and to “deal with the scourge of second-hand smoke and passive smoke,” he stressed.
“We definitely want to see smoking phased out in our country, we committed to that in our manifesto,” Mr Streeting told Sky News.
“We want to make sure this generation of children are the healthiest generation that ever lived and therefore they will never be able to legally buy cigarettes.
“We are looking at a range of other measures to also help people who are currently smoking to quit and also to deal with the scourge of second-hand smoke and passive smoking, which is also harmful. We’ll be setting out our proposals on that shortly.”
Asked if he will ban smoking outside pubs, he said: “Look, that’s one of the measures that I’m considering, and I’m up for a national debate on this issue.
“We have got to do two things – reform the health service, but also reform public health, because we might be living longer, but we’re becoming sicker sooner and there is a heavy price being paid for that in our economy, our public finances and in our own health.”
Last year, New Zealand’s new government ditched a new law to ban smoking for future generations, despite warnings from health experts.
The country passed legislation in 2022 that introduced a steadily rising smoking age to stop those born after January 2009 from ever being able to legally buy cigarettes. The law was aimed at preventing thousands of smoking-related deaths and saving the health system billions of dollars.
The legislation is believed to have been the basis for the plan, in England initially, to phase out smoking for future generations but it was axed at the final hurdle, with the revenue from cigarette sales going towards the coalition’s tax cuts.
But is there anywhere in the world that has banned smoking completely?
Where is smoking banned?
There is no complete ban on smoking in any country and New Zealand was set to be the first to make it illegal to buy tobacco.
But there are strict smoking laws throughout the world.
Thailand banned smoking on its most popular tourist beaches in 2017.
Smoking in all public places in Bhutan became illegal in February 2005, making it the first nation in the world to outlaw this.
A total of 17 European Union countries have well-enforced comprehensive smoke-free legislation in place, according to the EU.
Among these, Ireland, Greece, Bulgaria, Malta, Spain and Hungary have the strictest smoke-free provisions, with a complete ban on smoking in enclosed public places, on public transport and in workplaces, with only limited exceptions allowed.
One place that is slightly confusing is Japan.
A law banning indoor smoking took full effect across Japan as of April 2020. The revised health promotion law stated that, as a general rule, it bans smoking at restaurants, hotels, and offices. However, people are allowed to smoke in “designated smoking rooms” which sometimes crop up in restaurants in the country.
Smoking outdoors is equally confusing. Smoking on the streets and in public is strictly prohibited, and people are given hefty fines if caught. However, yet again, you are allowed to smoke in special designated smoking areas such as a glassed-in areas or just an area with a smoking symbol on the top. It also depends on the area and municipality of Japan that you are in.
What are the laws in the UK?
While in power, the former prime minister Rishi Sunak pledged to raise the legal age for buying cigarettes in England by one year every year to reduce the amount of people smoking. The changes would need a vote in Parliament, just like the free votes for the ban on smoking in public places and raising the smoking age to 18.
In Mr Sunak’s words, the proposed legislation would mean that a “14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette and that they and their generation can grow up smoke-free”.
He said it would not be fair to stop someone from smoking who already did but he hoped that raising the legal age would prevent teenagers from picking the habit up in the first place.
He aimed to start with England initially, but planned to negotiate with Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland to introduce the legislation across the UK.
The current legal age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products across the UK is 18, the same as for alcohol. This is also the age at which teenagers become legal adults, enabling them to vote and exercise various other rights.
The legal age to buy cigarettes was raised from 16 in 2007 by the last Labour government, the first change to the age since 1908.
In July 2007, it also became illegal throughout the UK to smoke in any pub, restaurant, nightclub and most workplaces and work vehicles.
What have Labour said about the proposed smoking law changes?
The proposed ban has sparked an angry backlash from pub owners, hospitality chiefs, and smokers, but Labour has refused to ditch the idea.
Last week, Mr Streeting insisted that he would make changes “with people” and not “to people” when asked about nanny state concerns, saying he is not the “fun police”.
He has said he is up for a “national debate” on the issue to hear all sides, but confirmed it is very much a plan still on the table.
Some in the hospitality industry have voiced concerns over potential plans to ban outdoor smoking, including in beer gardens and outside stadiums.
