Sir Keir Starmer today confirmed he is considering a ban on outdoor smoking amid claims it could see Brits barred from lighting up in beer gardens or outside stadiums.
The Prime Minister told journalists in Paris he is looking at changes to smoking laws as he pointed to a ‘huge burden’ on the NHS.
According to leaked plans, the Government is set to ban smoking in some outdoor areas in a bid to improve public health.
The indoor smoking ban, which was introduced under the previous Labour government in 2007, could be extended to cover other locations.
This may include small parks, outdoor restaurants or even shisha bars, as well as areas outside hospitals and football grounds.
Asked about the proposals, Sir Keir said: ‘My starting point on this is to remind everybody that over 80,000 people lose their lives every year because of smoking.
‘That is a preventable death, it’s a huge burden on the NHS and, of course, it is a burden on the taxpayer.
‘So, yes, we are going to take decisions in this space, more details will be revealed.
‘But this is a preventable series of deaths and we’ve got to take action to reduce the burden on the NHS and the taxpayer.’
A survey of readers showed three-quarters (75 per cent) did not agree with Labour’s plan for a ban on smoking in outdoor areas.
This compared to a quarter (25 per cent) who did agree with a ban on smoking outside pubs, due to concerns about public health.
The leaked plans have sparked a huge backlash with concerns they could cause massive harm to the pub industry and other hospitality businesses.
Labour is also under fire over ‘nanny state’ measures with claims it is a ‘libertarian issue’ as to whether Brits decide to light up outdoors.
The PM admitted it was important to ‘get the balance right’ when asked whether new laws to reduce smoking would break his post-election pledge for politics to ‘tread more lightly’ on voters’ lives.
Speaking after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace, he added: ‘It is important to get the balance right, but everybody watching this who uses the NHS will know that it’s on its knees.
‘We have to relieve the burden and that’s why I spoke before the election about moving to a preventative model when it comes to health.
‘I want the NHS back on its feet, but I also want it fit for the next 75 years, just as we’ve had a brilliant 75 years already, and that means taking action in relation to preventable deaths.
‘And these are 80,000 a year preventable deaths.’
Tory leadership candidate Dame Priti Patel voiced her anger at Labour’s plans and warned that imposing ‘nanny state’ laws on pubs and restaurants would ‘not only be wrong but economically damaging’.
‘These are small businesses, run by hardworking people, that provide jobs up and down the country,’ the former home secretary added.
‘Labour is devoid of ideas and has no economic plan and is now reduced to nanny state policies to pacify their socialist base and take freedoms and choices away from the British people.
‘Asking the police to enforce this at a time when Starmer is releasing dangerous criminals onto our streets is beyond stupid, it borders on the negligent.
‘This needs to be reversed immediately before it endangers both our retail sector and the safety of our streets.’
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accused Labour of ‘showing its authoritarian socialist state control instincts and mentality’.
In an article for the Telegraph, he wrote: ‘The rumoured ban on smoking in pub gardens or on the pavement outside pubs will kill off the traditional pub forever.
‘For my own part, I simply would not go to the pub ever again if these restrictions are imposed.
‘I know that many who read this will be non-smokers and some perhaps anti-smokers.
‘Intolerance of the behaviour of others and the belief in bans and state control seem to be more popular today than ever.’
Reem Ibrahim, acting director of communications at the Institute of Economic Affairs think tank, said banning outdoor smoking would be ‘another nail in the coffin for the pub industry’.
She said: ‘The Government’s own impact assessment concluded that banning smoking outdoors will lead to pub closures and job losses.
‘Pubs and other private venues should be able to determine their own outdoor smoking rules – just as they should be allowed to decide whether to play music, serve food or show football on TV.’
She added: ‘The Government should look to countries like Sweden, which has attained the lowest prevalence of smoking in the world not by implementing nanny state measures like this proposal, but by allowing adults to choose safer and healthier products.’
Tim Martin, founder of JD Wetherspoon, said the proposed smoking ban raises a ‘libertarian issue’.
He said: ‘The question is whether the Government should interfere in individual liberties where danger is involved.
‘Mountaineering is dangerous, for example. Horse riding, statistically, causes many serious injuries.
‘I don’t think it will have a big effect on our business, one way or the other, and is really a libertarian issue.’
In 2007, under the last Labour government, smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces was made illegal across the UK.
According to health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), in the year following the introduction of smoke-free laws, there was a 2.4 per cent reduction in hospital admissions for heart attacks in England, saving the NHS £8.4million in the first year alone.
The first year after the introduction of the indoor smoking ban also saw a 12.3 per cent reduction in hospital admissions for childhood asthma, equivalent to 6,803 fewer admissions over three years.
Former prime minister Rishi Sunak announced plans to crack down on smoking through his flagship Tobacco and Vapes Bill last year.
The Bill – dubbed the ‘greatest piece of public health legislation in a generation’ – had earned wide cross-party support and was progressing through Parliament when the general election was called.
Charities and health experts were dismayed when the Bill was shelved as a result.
Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH, said: ‘The priority is to get the Bill back in Parliament and put on the statute book, to end smoking for the next generation and curb youth vaping.
‘ASH would support the inclusion of powers to extend smoke-free laws outdoors, subject to consultation.
‘However, it’s also important to ensure that there are still outdoor areas where people who smoke can smoke in the open air, rather than inside their homes.’
Labour pledged to introduce their own Tobacco and Vapes Bill at last month’s King’s Speech to ‘progressively increase the age at which people can buy cigarettes and impose limits on the sale and marketing of vapes’.
This will ban smoking for those born after 2008 and prevent the availability of vapes for children, but there was no mention of a ban on smoking in outdoor areas for those of legal age.
Should smoking in pub gardens and outdoor restaurants be banned? asks the public what they REALLY think of Labour’s proposed plans
By Arthur Parashar and Lettice Bromovsky
Punters across the country have shared how they really feel about Sir Keir Starmer’s ‘aggressive’ plans to ban smoking in pub gardens, near stadiums and outdoor restaurants.
Commuters who spoke to this morning have been left divided by the plans.
Many accused the Government of taking away people’s freedom and described the UK as a ‘nanny state’.
But others, including smokers, said it could give those who are addicted the ‘nudge’ they need to quit.
Mark Brennan, who has smoked since he was 18, told : ‘I go to pub gardens to smoke outside so it will impact me.
‘The Government should lay off a little bit. The policy is too much. It’s too aggressive.
‘The bars are struggling already since Covid. It’s becoming a dictatorial state being told what to do.
The 55-year-old, who is from Newcastle, added: ‘I’m trying to stop smoking, I’ve tried a few times and haven’t succeeded.
‘I have mixed feelings on it. It will help people stop eventually. There’s a lot of people smoking and it isn’t good for you.’
George Brown, a 35-year-old smoker from Newcastle, praised the proposals.
The store worker said: ‘Weirdly enough I think it’s a good thing.
‘I’m trying to quit, although it’s not going very well, and it might give people a push to quit. Sometimes it takes a little nudge.
‘Smokers are quite lazy and if we have to walk an extra 30 feet to smoke, plus the added taxes on cigarettes, it isn’t worth it anymore.
‘It sucks for the people that are addicted but it’s going to be better for the country’s health so it might be a good thing.
‘It won’t ruin the pub industry. If that’s the industries’ issue with it then there must be more issues at play as people don’t go to the pub to smoke anymore.
‘You need something else to draw people in.
‘If that’s why people are going there, they need to correct that. The steps to try and get the country smoke-free are a good thing. At the end of the day, if it’s going to help our health then it’s fine.
‘You can tell that Kier Starmer isn’t a smoker with these policies but I think he has our interests at heart.’
Lee Teasdale, 47, a watch repairer said: ‘It’s another law they’re going to pass that takes away more freedom.
‘It’s freedom of choice, people should be able to do what they want. It’s just trying to tell us what to do.
‘It’s becoming a nanny state. It’s going to ruin the pub industry.
‘If you look at Newcastle now it isn’t the thriving nightlife it used to be and this certainly isn’t going to help.
‘We will see more closures. The large beer gardens rely on football being on and people smoking.’
Kath Cox, a retail manager from Newcastle, said: ‘This is going to affect restaurants and businesses if people can’t smoke or vape outside.
‘However, it’s going to make people leave their drink there and move onto the streets.
‘We adapted before when we were banned from smoking inside so I’m sure we will adapt again but it will be a change.
‘It’s becoming a nanny state. They are trying to get us under some kind of control and do everything they want us to do, which we have seen in previous years.
‘If it goes ahead there will be a lot of people opposing it.
The 42-year-old said: ‘I have lots of issues about it but they are never going to ban cigarettes because they get so much money from the tax on it.
‘Either let us carry on or ban smoking all together.
‘What are they trying to achieve from it because we are still giving them the money and they are still taking it.
‘They can’t have that much of a problem with it if they still sell them.
‘It’s the same with alcohol. It creates so many problems down the line for the NHS so you go round in circles on how to combat something.
‘There is something that needs to be done in terms of vaping, you see so many kids vaping.’
Smoker Chay Pinkerton added: ‘I don’t see the problem smoking in public. people smoke, people vape. Everywhere you go, people are always going to be smoking. If people don’t want to be around smoke, they can move somewhere else.
‘They shouldn’t take it away from people… I think it’s stupid personally. It’s taking away people’s freedom.’
Jonathan Macmillan added: ‘I think you should be able to do whatever you want… it won’t be a good idea. People are entitled to whatever they are want to do. People won’t want to go out and enjoy themselves if they can’t do something they enjoy.’
Daniel, 38, a water treatment consultant and plumber from London, told : ‘I would support the ban in parks anywhere where there is children we would support the ban. You need to respect those boundaries.
‘I don’t smoke around my kids and don’t want others smoking around my kids either.
‘I’m not a massive drinker and don’t go to pub that much, but I would be less likely to go to a pub if there was a smoking ban as it’s more of an inconvenience.
‘It definitely wouldn’t help me quit smoking. Banning what you can and can’t do doesn’t stop people from doing those things. Look at [drugs] people still do those despite being illegal.’
Dan Lungeanu, a 36-year-old engineer from London, said: ‘It is a double edge sword, whatever limits people liberties is not OK.
‘A lot of ex-smokers would agree as well people that a ban would jump the gun and just be wrong.
‘I also don’t think passive smoking outside is that big of a deal. Also when people are forced outside they will throw their cigarettes straight onto the floor which is bad for the environment.
‘And people would be all over the street blocking traffic, which is dangerous.’
Also in London, Elizabeth told she thought it was a very good idea to ban smoking in some outdoor settings.
‘It’s better for my health,’ she said before adding that food will be ‘a lot more delicious to eat’ without the smell of smoke if it were to be banned at restaurant terraces.
Business development manager Faisal, 56, said: ‘I think the people will be walking away for 15 minutes at the time, but they won’t walk away from the business.’
While Kevin Howells, a managing director of a security company, said he ‘controversially’ agreed with the ban. ‘We all like to go and have some sort of fresh air in beer gardens… that’s where the smokers concentrate.’
He said he did, however, fear for the impact on pubs. He said businesses could look at smoke-designated rooms to ‘keep everyone happy’.
Mr Howells added that he did not think this ban would help cut down on smoking and that people would simply find another location.
Josh, a financial analyst, thinks it might be a bit over the top to ban it in pubs.
But he raised doubts about how it would be enforced and suggested people may have to be searched beforehand.
‘But how would they do that in pubs?,’ he said. ‘Outside football stadiums maybe they could, but pubs it’s almost impossible.’
But he doesn’t think it’ll encourage people to quit smoking as they will just ‘stand on their own and smoke like they do now’.
A 41-year-old smoker who wanted to remain anonymous told : ‘If it is outside area I don’t see why there should be a ban. A restaurant I understand more as it is not fair on eaters.
‘But this will definitely impact businesses and they have already been through enough because of Covid.
‘It would also be impossible to enforce. Pubs are not going to call the police on their own customers and a lot of people would just break the rules.’
In Brighton, 23-year-old Brooke Hobson said: ‘I think if I was still smoking, I’d think it’s quite silly. It’s not just a social thing anymore, it’s part of people’s lives.’
She added: ‘I don’t think its appropriate to ban it from public spaces, inside it made so much sense.’
‘The more you tell people you can’t do this in this space, the more it incentivises younger people to think it’s cool… smoking is not cool, it’s just smoking at the end of the day!’
Also in Brighton, Jack Boggis, the 24-year-old bar manager of The Dorset Pub, said: ‘If I end up having to leave the whole premises, go down the road I may as well just go home!’
Adam Hattersley, owner of Kenny’s Rock & Soul in the city, said: ‘I like that people can do what they want at the moment, and have the freedom to smoke on our balcony.
‘But I can see both sides, obviously there are issues with smoking.’
Vincent Jones, 58, from Birmingham, is a hotel narrowboat owner and used to run pubs for three decades.
Any ban wouldn’t impact his business as he already doesn’t allow smoking on his boats, but feels it could have ramifications for the hospitality sector.
‘It’s how do you police it?,’ he said, ‘that’s the biggest problem. It’s going to be hard to police. How do you stop people going to a different area to smoke? It’s a bit impossible really.’