UPDATE – November 5th 2024
Plans to ban smoking outside of pubs has now been reduced. The Government in their latest edition of the bill have decided that pubs and beer gardens are not on the list of outdoor settings where smoking will be banned. This is of great relief to the hospitlaity sector, as a smoking ban for pubs would only hurt the pub, and is unlikely to improve the health of smokers.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the government was taking “bold action” to create a smoke-free generation, “clamp down on kids getting hooked on nicotine through vapes” and protect the vulnerable from the dangers of second-hand cigarette smoke. Plans include extending the indoor smoking ban to certain outdoor settings, such as schools and hospitals, to protect children and the most vulnerable.
Smoking could be banned in outdoor spaces by law
In a drastic attempt to make the UK completely smoke-free, the government have announced that they will take action against smoking and the burden it puts on the NHS. The change sees a new law being announced, one which targets smoking areas – including pub gardens, outdoor restaurants, outside hospitality, sports grounds and nightclub smoking areas.
See the PM, Kier Starmer’s, message here
His reasoning: “Over 80,000 people lose their lives every year because of smoking. This is a preventable series of deaths, and we’ve got to take action to reduce the burden on the NHS and the taxpayer.”
The full details of the measures are still unknown, but the ban won’t affect private homes, or large open spaces including big parks or streets. It is primarily going to target sports venues and hospitality venues.
What is expected from the upcoming Smoking Bill?
The bill was first proposed by Rishi Sunak’s government. It’s guiding principle is gradually eliminate smoking from the UK by prohibiting the sale of cigarettes and tobacco, specifically to people born in 2009 or later. This will eventually age smoking out of the population. Ministers could target vapes as well as shisha bars.
Part of the bill would impose new restrictions on outdoor smoking, including outdoor spaces and pavements, clubs, pubs and restaurants, as well as at universities and children’s play areas.
How will the smoking bill affect UK nightclubs and pubs?
On the face of it, the benefits could include:
- Overall improvement to health
- Smoke-free atmosphere outside of pubs
- More family-friendly areas
However the negative and questions surrounding the bill are many:
- Who is expected to police the new law?
- Will this affect drinking habits and profits?
- Will this negatively affect drinks sold?
- Will this stop smoking or simply move paying smokers elsewhere?
- Will this affect tax profits?
The plans were leaked earlier in the week – And while health experts backed the proposals, the hospitality industry said it is likely “the last nail in the coffin” for pubs and clubs.
UKHospitality has criticised the government’s plans. Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “A ban on smoking in outdoor spaces comes with the prospect of serious economic harm to hospitality venues. You only have to look back to the significant pub closures we saw after the indoor smoking ban to see the potential impact it could have.
“This ban would not only affect pubs and nightclubs, but hotels, cafes and restaurants that have all invested significantly in good faith in outdoor spaces and continue to face financial challenges.
“The government must embark on a full and detailed conversation with affected parties on the impact of such a ban before any legislation is laid. It must also assess whether such a ban would achieve its aims of meaningfully reducing smoking or simply relocate smoking elsewhere, such as in the home.”
Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, 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.”
Many restaurant owners and business owners have come out and said these measures would be “really bad for business” and could “shut a lot of pubs”. They argued these measures have not bene discussed with the industry.
How do you feel about the smoking ban – could this be a positive for your business and the health of your workers, or is it the government going too far?