Labour’s Outdoor Smoking Ban: Protecting Public Health or Harming Hospitality?

Lucy Powell, the Leader of the House of Commons from the Labour Party, has asserted that prohibiting smoking in outdoor areas of pubs is not meant to harm the hospitality sector. She argued that making the nation smoke-free would positively impact both the economy and health services.

Political correspondent @fayebrownSky

Sunday, September 1, 2024, 11:

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A cabinet minister has asserted that the proposed plans to prohibit smoking in pub gardens do not constitute an assault on the hospitality sector.

Lucy Powell spoke on Sky News' program Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, expressing Labour's goal to establish a "smoke-free country." She noted that any actions toward this aim would be carried out after consulting with the businesses that might be impacted.

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The recently formed administration had committed to reviving Rishi Sunak's key tobacco legislation, aimed at prohibiting the sale of cigarettes to individuals aged 14 and younger, a proposal that had been put on hold prior to the electoral events.

This week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced he might extend regulations to include a smoking ban at outdoor venues, aiming to decrease the preventable deaths associated with tobacco consumption.

When queried on the notion that this decision might devastate businesses, Ms. Powell responded, "We are definitely not targeting the hospitality sector. We stand behind it fully. It plays a crucial role in our communities, on our main streets, and in our economic landscape."

"I won't speculate on the specifics of upcoming legislation, but I will note that any initiatives to broaden regulations on smoking will fully involve discussions with those in the hospitality industry."

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She also mentioned that for quite some time, there has been a widespread agreement on the goal of achieving a smoke-free nation, noting that the health and economic advantages would be significant.

Smoking is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths annually and is estimated to cost England's NHS roughly £2.6 billion each year.

Health advocates have praised the new proposals, but hospitality industry executives caution that these measures might deliver a crippling blow, especially after the challenges posed by the pandemic and the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Sir Keir mentioned that the prohibition might cover areas such as pub gardens, outdoor dining spaces, external sports facilities, hospitals, nightclubs, and certain small parks.

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Kate Nicholls, the chief executive of UKHospitality, expressed concerns that this could lead to considerable economic damage for hospitality venues, which have "made substantial investments in outdoor areas in good faith and are still dealing with financial difficulties."

Michael Kill, the chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, questioned: "Are we nearing the edge of becoming a nanny state? What will follow?"

"While these actions are likely motivated by concerns for public health, there's a chance they could polarize views and place additional regulatory demands on companies that are already dealing with significant difficulties."

Several Conservative MPs have voiced their opposition to the initiative, even though they have suggested their own measures to reduce smoking among the youth. Shadow Health Secretary Victoria Atkins shared on X, "Our goal is to shield our kids from starting to smoke and vape. Our legislation aimed at creating a smoke-free generation was crafted with this purpose in mind."

"However, we had no intention of preventing adults from smoking outdoors. Labour's approach is jeopardizing our hospitality industry."

Reform leader Nigel Farage informed a newspaper that he would "never visit a pub again if they prohibited outdoor smoking."

In 2007, the previous Labour administration implemented a prohibition on smoking within pubs and various other indoor public areas.

According to Action on Smoking Health (ASH), there was a 2.4% decrease in hospital admissions for heart attacks and a 12.3% decrease in hospital admissions for childhood asthma within one year.

ASH has expressed their backing for the government's initiatives, emphasizing the necessity for designated outdoor smoking areas to deter smokers from lighting up indoors.

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