Smoking ban: Why smoking would be banned in outdoor beer gardens and will the ban come to Scotland

The Prime Minister says he wants to ban smoking in beer gardens - but would such a ban apply to Scotland?

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says he wants to ban smoking in beer gardens across the UK.

The proposal has already been met with an industry backlash, but Sir Keir said the move would save lives and ease some of the strain on the NHS. So what exactly is he proposing, and will it apply here in Scotland?

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The Prime Minister says he wants to ban smoking in beer gardens.The Prime Minister says he wants to ban smoking in beer gardens.
The Prime Minister says he wants to ban smoking in beer gardens.

What is the Prime Minister proposing?

Sir Keir said he was considering banning smoking in beer gardens and other outdoor venues. This would also apply to outdoor restaurants and outside sports venues, hospitals, nightclubs and small parks.

He said: “My starting point on this is to remind everyone that over 80,000 people lose their lives every year to smoking - that’s a preventable death, it’s a huge burden on the NHS and, of course, on the taxpayer.

“So yes, we are going to take decisions in this space. More detail will be revealed, but this is a preventable cause of deaths and we’ve got to take action to reduce the burden on the NHS and reduce the burden on the taxpayer.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

This also comes after Labour said it would resurrect former Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak’s smoking ban, which was shelved before the general election. This would see legislation introduced to progressively increase the age at which people can buy cigarettes with the aim of it eventually being completely banned.

Will it apply in Scotland?

It is not yet clear if such a ban would apply to Scotland.

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It would need the Scottish Government’s approval under the Sewel Convention as smoking is considered a public health issue, which is devolved to Holyrood. However, previously the Scottish Government has said it was in favour of the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill and gave consent to it being applied UK-wide.

A spokesman said: “We do not comment on leaked information and await the introduction of the new legislation.

Smoking could soon be banned in beer gardens.Smoking could soon be banned in beer gardens.
Smoking could soon be banned in beer gardens. | Getty Images

“Any proposals for restrictions in Scotland would be subject to full consultation. They would also require to go through the Scottish Parliament.”

Not everyone is happy …

Industry bodies are already warning of the dire consequences such a ban could have on the night-time economy across the UK.

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Reem Ibrahim, acting director of communications at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: “Banning outdoor smoking would be another nail in the coffin for the pub industry.

“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.

“Smoking rates are already declining in the UK, in large part due to smokers switching to safer alternatives to combustible cigarettes.”

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