York MP Rachael Maskell says she is in favour of more restrictions on smoking as the Labour government considers a ban in outdoor spaces.
Ministers are considering a ban on smoking in some outdoor areas, such as pubs, restaurants and hospitals, to improve public health.
They believe it will see more people quit the habit which claimed 79,000 lives in the UK last year.
Ms Maskell, York Labour MP and previous vice chair of the Health Select Committee, told YorkMix she is in favour of more restrictions.
When asked whether she thinks smoking should be banned in outdoor spaces, she said: “We do need to move to a smoke-free future, and being able to have policies which help facilitate that is really important.
“We need a consultation on where we’re talking about, for instance, in children’s play areas and outside hospitals, as well as those public squares and public places.
“When in New York, they introduced smoke free areas in outdoor places, we know that smoking fell from 22% down to 15%.
“In speaking to York’s public health team, they said it’s got to be accompanied with support for smoking cessation services as well.
“A policy like this on its own will be less effective unless there is real support to drive people into those services.
“So that’s going to be important, and I’d certainly advocate for that.”
Fear for pubs
Nigel Farage has warned the ban would ‘be the end of pubs’, and many hospitality bosses are sceptical of the plans.
But Ms Maskell told YorkMix: “The arguments that this is going to be so damaging for the hospitality sector were run out in 2007 when the ban on indoor places to smoke was run and that wasn’t realised.
“In York, we’ve got a thriving hospitality sector today, and yet we’ve got a ban on smoking indoors.
“We need a consultation where we’re talking about – for instance, in children’s play areas, outside hospitals, as well as those public squares and public places.”
Former Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak had announced plans to crack down on smoking with the Tobacco and Vapes Bill last year.
The plans had gathered wide cross-party support, but were shelved when the general election was called earlier in the summer.
Ministers are now also discussing more limits on vapes, such as restricting flavours and tighter regulations on packaging and displays.
Would the York MP be in favour of banning vaping in outdoor public spaces? “Currently there are no bans on vaping in indoor places, so we’ve got to get this right for everybody,” she said.
“So I welcome the measures in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, but believe they could’ve been improved by looking at where people vaped, as well as obviously building on what’s learned from the smoking ban.”
A YouGov poll on Thursday suggested that 58% of British adults support banning smoking in pub gardens and outside restaurants
It said 35% of people would oppose the measure.
What do you think of the potential smoking ban? Let us know at [email protected].