NTIA boss criticises proposed outdoor smoking ban
The proposed ban has also come under fire from UKHospitality chief Kate Nicholls
Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) CEO Michael Kill has accused the government of pushing the country towards a “nanny state” over a proposed ban of smoking outside certain venues.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed that ministers are looking at banning smoking in a variety of places, including pub gardens, outdoor restaurants and outside sports venues, hospitals, nightclubs and in small parks.
The PM confirmed this after a report around the proposal leaked and was seen by The Sun.
In response to this, Kill questioned “what next?” if the Government were to go ahead with plans.
He said: “Following the Government leak yesterday which revealed plans to extend the smoking ban to outdoor areas such as beer gardens, spaces outside nightclubs, restaurant terraces and Shisha bars have understandably caused concern across the sector. Although smoking rates have seen a significant decline, many have switched to vaping—a trend that, according to these leaks, may also fall under new regulatory scrutiny.
“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.”
The proposed ban has also come under fire from UKHospitality chief Kate Nicholls.
She added: “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.
“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.”
Starmer defended the idea stating that “80,000 people lose their lives every year to smoking which is a burden on the NHS”.
He stated: “So, yes we are going to take decisions in this space. More details will be revealed but this is a preventable cause of deaths and we’ve got to take the action to reduce the burden on the NHS and reduce the burden on the taxpayer.”
