NEW restrictions are set to hit smokers, as a leaked Whitehall document revealed plans to ban smoking in pub gardens.
But how far do these restrictions go and why are they being brought in now?
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What are the current smoking laws?
It is illegal to smoke in an enclosed work space, on public transport and in any public building.
Guest bedrooms in hotels, open-air spaces (such as sports stadiums) and bus stops are also included in the ban.
There are also restrictions on smoking in your car, while someone under-18 is in the vehicle.
In October 2023, former prime minister Rishi Sunak announced plans to prevent young people from smoking.
He outlined his plan to ban children born on or after January 1, 2009 from legally buying cigarettes.
Smoking bans have been increasing since they were first brought in by Tony Blair, in 2007.
The 2007 restrictions helped to save lives by preventing the inhalation of second-hand smoke.
According to leaked Whitehall documents, Sir Keir Starmer’s government are planning to take Blair’s and Sunak’s restrictions one step further.
What is the pub garden smoking ban that Labour has proposed?
The Government will be extending current smoking bans, according to leaked Whitehall papers.
The documents detail that pub gardens, and a range of other outside venues, will soon be smoke free.
A government source told The Sun: “Smoking claims 80,000 lives a year, puts huge pressure on our NHS, and costs taxpayers billions.
“We are determined to protect children and non-smokers from the harms of second-hand smoking.
“We’re considering a range of measures to finally make Britain smoke-free.”
Where else will outdoor smoking be banned?
In the leaked government plans, it said that outdoor smoking will be banned in more places than just pub gardens.
Nightclubs will be losing their smoking areas too, so club-goers will be waving goodbye to late night chats outside their favourite venue.
The pavement outside of clubs will be a smoke free area too, as well as outdoor restaurants and small parks.
Smoking will also be banned outside of football stadiums.
However, larger open air spaces (such as big national parks or streets) will be spared from the new restrictions.
Of course, smoking will remain legal in people’s homes.
The leaked document also suggested that these plans will also apply for vapers, since vaping has seen a sharp rise in popularity over recent years.
How does smoking increase your risk of lung cancer?
SMOKING cigarettes is the single biggest risk factor for lung cancer.
It’s responsible for more than seven out of 10 cases, according to the NHS.
Tobacco smoke contains more than 60 different toxic substances, which are known to be carcinogenic.
If you smoke more than 25 cigarettes a day, you are 25 times more likely to get lung cancer than someone who does not smoke.
Frequent exposure to other people’s tobacco smoke – known as passive or secondhand smoking – can also increase your risk of developing lung cancer.
Aside from cigarettes, the following products can also put you at risk of the disease:
- Cigars
- Pipe tobacco
- Snuff (a powdered form of tobacco)
- Chewing tobacco
- Cannabis (especially when mixed with tobacco)
Source: NHS
