Lucy Powell Asserts Outdoor Smoking Ban Aims for Public Health, Not Hospitality Harm

Lucy Powell, the leader of the Labour Party in the House of Commons, has stated that prohibiting smoking in outdoor areas of pubs is not meant to harm the hospitality sector. She argues that making the nation smoke-free would positively impact both the economy and the healthcare system.

Political correspondent @fayebrownSky

Sunday, September 1, 2024, 11:

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A cabinet minister has firmly stated that the government's proposed measures to prohibit smoking in pub gardens are not aimed at targeting the hospitality sector.

Lucy Powell spoke on Sky News' Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips, expressing Labour's goal to establish a "smoke-free country." She emphasized that any steps taken toward this aim would be implemented following discussions with potentially impacted businesses.

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The recently formed administration had committed to reviving Rishi Sunak's key tobacco legislation, which aimed to prevent anyone who is 14 or younger from ever purchasing cigarettes, however, this proposal was set aside prior to the election.

This week, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer mentioned the possibility of extending the smoking ban to include outdoor venues as well, aiming to decrease the preventable deaths associated with tobacco consumption.

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

"I won't speculate on the contents of upcoming laws, but I will emphasize that any initiative to broaden regulations on smoking will involve thorough discussions with those in the hospitality industry."

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She noted that there has long been a widespread agreement on the goal of achieving a smoke-free nation, emphasizing that the health and economic advantages would be substantial.

Annually, smoking is responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths and is estimated to cost England's NHS roughly £2.6 billion.

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

Sir Keir mentioned that the prohibition might extend to beer garden areas, outdoor dining facilities, external areas of sports arenas, hospitals, nightclubs, and certain smaller parks.

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Kate Nicholls, the chief executive of UKHospitality, warned that this poses a significant threat of economic damage to hospitality establishments. These venues have made considerable investments in outdoor areas, trusting in their value, and are still grappling with financial difficulties.

Michael Kill, head of the Night Time Industries Association, expressed concern by asking, "Are we on the verge of turning into a nanny state? What comes next?"

"While these actions are likely motivated by concerns for public health, they run the risk of polarizing views and placing additional regulatory demands on companies that are already dealing with significant difficulties."

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

"However, prohibiting adults from smoking outdoors was never included in our agenda. Labour's approach is jeopardizing our hospitality industry."

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

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

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

ASH expressed their backing for the government's initiatives, emphasizing the necessity of providing designated outdoor areas for smokers to ensure they do not resort to smoking indoors.

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