Commenting on reports that the Government intends to ban smoking from pub gardens and other outdoor spaces, Reem Ibrahim, Acting Director of Communications at the free market think tank 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. The Government should look to countries like Sweden, which has attained the lowest prevalence of smoking in the world not by implementing nanny state measures like this proposal, but by allowing adults to choose safer and healthier products.”

ENDS

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Notes to Editors

• In 2022, 12.9% of adults smoked cigarettes, which is the lowest proportion of current smokers since records began (Office for National Statistics).


• In The Alternative Smoke-Free 2030 Plan, Dr Christopher Snowdon argues that by focusing on articulating the benefits of switching to low–risk tobacco alternatives and relaxing the associated regulatory regime, smoking may truly become obsolete.


• In A Vapid Solution, Reem Ibrahim & Dr Christopher Snowdon argue that e-cigarettes are key to smoking cessation. The 2022 Cochrane Review found ‘high-certainty’ that e-cigarettes are more effective than nicotine patches in helping people quit.