Campaigners slam calls to ban smoking in London's parks and squares

Tue 14th October, 2014

The smokers' group Forest has slammed calls for Trafalgar Square, Parliament Square and 20,000 acres of parks in the capital to go smoke free.

Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sally Davies, has backed the proposal, by the Mayor's London Health Commission, saying it will stop “role modelling in front of children”

Simon Clark, director of Forest, said: "A ban on smoking in parks and squares would be outrageous. There's no health risk to anyone other than the smoker. If you don't like the smell, walk away.

"Tobacco is a legal product. If the Chief Medical Officer doesn't like people smoking in front of children she should lobby the government to introduce designated smoking rooms in pubs and clubs so adults can smoke inside in comfort.

"The next thing you know we'll be banned from smoking in our own gardens in case a whiff of smoke travels over the fence."

He added: "If Boris Johnson supports this move it will blow to smithereens his easy-going image.

"It will demonstrate he's just like every other politician climbing the greasy pole, happy to micro manage our lives and trample on ordinary people."

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