Lucy Powell Advocates for Smoke-Free UK: Insists Outdoor Smoking Ban Supports Hospitality Industry

Lucy Powell, the Leader of the House for Labour, has asserted that prohibiting smoking in outdoor areas of pubs is not intended to harm the hospitality sector. She argued that implementing a smoking ban in these areas could positively impact both the economy and public health services.

Political journalist @fayebrownSky

Sunday, September 1, 2024, 11:

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A cabinet minister has firmly stated that the government's proposed ban on smoking in pub gardens is not an assault on the hospitality sector.

Lucy Powell, speaking on Sky News' "Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips," stated that Labour aims to establish a "smoke-free country" and will develop strategies to reach this goal through discussions with potentially impacted businesses.

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The recently formed administration committed to reviving Rishi Sunak's key tobacco legislation, which aimed to prohibit the sale of cigarettes to individuals aged 14 and below for life. However, the proposal was put on hold prior to the elections.

This week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that he might extend the prohibition to include smoking at outdoor venues, aiming to decrease the number of deaths that are preventable and associated with tobacco consumption.

When questioned about concerns that this decision might harm the business sector, Ms. Powell responded, "We are definitely not targeting the hospitality sector. We are behind it fully because it is crucial for our local communities, our main streets, and our economy."

"I won't speculate on the contents of upcoming legislation, but I will emphasize that any actions to broaden regulations concerning smoking will be thoroughly discussed with those in the hospitality industry."

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She also mentioned that "there has been widespread agreement for quite some time that a smoke-free nation is desirable," and that the health and economic gains "would be significant."

Annually, smoking is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths and is estimated to burden the NHS in England with costs of about £2.6 billion.

Health advocates have praised the new proposals, but hospitality sector executives caution that these measures may further harm businesses already struggling from the pandemic and rising living costs.

Sir Keir mentioned that the prohibition might cover areas such as beer gardens, outdoor dining sections, external sports facilities, hospitals, nightclubs, and select smaller parks.

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Kate Nicholls, the head of UKHospitality, expressed concern that this situation "poses a significant economic threat to hospitality establishments" which have "made substantial investments in outdoor areas in good faith and are still confronting financial difficulties."

Michael Kill, the Chief Executive Officer of the Night Time Industries Association, expressed concern by asking, "Does this situation signal that we are edging towards becoming a nanny state? What will follow?"

"While these actions are likely motivated by concerns for public health, they could polarize views and add more regulatory demands on businesses that are already under significant strain."

Several Conservative MPs have voiced their opposition to the initiative, despite advocating for measures to limit smoking among the youth themselves. Shadow Health Secretary Victoria Atkins expressed on X, "Our goal is to shield our children from starting smoking and vaping. Our legislation for a smoke-free generation was crafted with this purpose in mind."

"However, it was never our intention to prevent 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 smoking outside."

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 decline of 2.4% in hospital admissions for heart attacks and a 12.3% decrease in hospital admissions for childhood asthma within one year.

ASH has expressed its backing for the government’s initiatives, highlighting the necessity for designated outdoor smoking areas to discourage indoor smoking among tobacco users.

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