Is Vaping Under Threat?
The government has confirmed that it is to act on smoking related diseases and deaths by adding further restrictions and it is rumoured that vaping may be included
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by Dave Cross
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The government has confirmed that it is to act on smoking related diseases and deaths by adding further restrictions. The Sun newspaper has viewed a leaked document and believes that smoking could be banned from the likes of outdoor restaurant areas and pub beer gardens, outside sporting venues and in parks. Publicans and representatives of the night-time industry have condemned the news.
The Sun says the leaked document says there will be a public consultation “prior to the introduction of any ban”, but the leisure industry is angry that it has not been consulted prior to cabinet and Department of Health discussions on the new, tougher Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
The newspaper says ministers are “plotting” to ban smoking from:
- Beer gardens
- Outside football stadiums
- Outdoor restaurants
- Open-air spaces at nightclubs
- Pavements near restaurants and nightclubs
- Outside universities
- Outside hospitals
- Outside other sports venues
- In children’s play areas
- In small parks
The Sun adds: “Ministers could also sting vapers.”
The Night Time Industries Association has expressed its strong concern over the news.
NTIA’s Chief executive, Michael Kill said: “This raises the critical question: Are we on the brink of becoming a nanny state? What is next? While these measures may rightly be driven by public health considerations, they risk dividing opinion and imposing yet another regulatory burden on businesses already facing considerable challenges. At a time when our industry desperately needs the freedom to trade, the last thing we need is further barriers.”
A press release circulated by the government in 2020 noted: “Since the existing ban was introduced, businesses have invested heavily in outdoor areas. Banning outdoor smoking would lead to significant closures and job losses.”
Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health, has been pushing for tougher action on smoking and vaping. She commented: “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 smokefree laws outdoors, subject to consultation.
“The Government is catching up with what the public expects, and that’s not to have to breathe in tobacco smoke in places like children’s play areas and seating areas outside pubs, restaurants and cafes. 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.
“Twenty years ago, those who opposed banning smoking inside pubs argued it would damage business and be unenforceable. In fact, more people went to pubs after the ban came in, and compliance was 97% from day one. That was a far more radical change, smoking rates have gone down considerably since then, and the public supports extending legislation to areas outside hospitality venues, so it’s hard to see how it can damage the hospitality trade.
“More to the point, smoking is the leading cause of premature death and is responsible for half the difference in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest in society, and the economic cost to the economy in England alone is at least £21.8 Bn. The more we can do to end smoking altogether, the better it will be for everyone’s health and wellbeing.”
Columnist and author, Ian Dunt wrote on Twitter/X: “Banning smoking in an outside space is the worst kind of prurient, hectoring, interfering, puritanical bullshit. No health basis to it whatsoever. Just a flat-out act of social control.”
He continued: “I realise this goes against our instincts as a country, but people are allowed to make shit life decisions if they want to. If they choose short term pleasure over long term health, that's their call. It's only your business if it hurts others. Which smoking outside does not. I'm sure they'll now try and dress it up in any number of half-arsed ways, but it is a basic act of authoritarianism. Dreary goddamn health-police curtain-twitchers. Mind your own XXXXXXX business.”
Photo Credit:
UK map photo by Danil Ahmetşah on Unsplash, Beer garden photo by Zach Rowlandson on Unsplash
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
