Lucy Powell Advocates for Outdoor Smoking Ban, Asserts It’s Not a Threat to Hospitality Industry

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

Political correspondent @fayebrownSky

Sunday, September 1, 2024, 11:

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A cabinet minister has firmly stated that the government's proposed plans to prohibit smoking in pub gardens are not intended as an assault on the hospitality sector.

Lucy Powell spoke to Trevor Phillips on Sky News' Sunday Morning, expressing Labour's goal to establish a "smoke-free country." She emphasized that any actions taken towards this aim would be developed "in consultation" with potentially impacted businesses.

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The current administration had committed to reviving Rishi Sunak’s key tobacco legislation, designed to prohibit the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after a certain year, making them perpetually unable to purchase tobacco. However, this initiative was put on hold prior to the election.

This week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer indicated that his efforts might extend to prohibiting smoking in open-air settings as well, aiming to decrease the fatalities associated with tobacco consumption.

In response to concerns that this decision might harm businesses, Ms. Powell stated, "We are definitely not targeting the hospitality sector. We stand behind the hospitality industry. It is crucial for our local communities, our high streets, and our economy."

"I won't speculate on the specifics of upcoming legislation. However, I can confirm that any actions to broaden regulations concerning smoking will be implemented after thoroughly consulting with the hospitality industry."

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She also mentioned that "for quite some time, there's been a general agreement on the goal of achieving a smoke-free nation," emphasizing 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 around £2.6 billion each year.

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

Sir Keir mentioned that the prohibition might encompass areas such as pub gardens, alfresco dining areas, outdoor sports facilities, hospitals, nightclubs, and select small parks.

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Kate Nicholls, the head of UKHospitality, warned that this poses a significant economic threat to hospitality businesses, which have heavily invested in outdoor areas in good faith and are still dealing with financial hardships.

Michael Kill, the chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, posed a crucial inquiry: "Are we at the edge of transforming into a nanny state? What comes after this?

"Although these policies are likely motivated by concerns for public health, they may cause division among people and add more regulatory demands on companies that are already dealing with significant difficulties."

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

"However, our agenda did not include prohibiting outdoor smoking for adults. Labour's approach could jeopardize our hospitality industry."

Reform chief Nigel Farage declared to a newspaper that he would "never visit a pub again if they prohibited smoking outdoors."

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

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

ASH expressed their backing for the government's initiatives, emphasizing the need for designated outdoor areas for smokers to ensure they don't resort to smoking inside.

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