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Banning smoking in outdoor pavement areas would be "insane"
Fri 3rd December, 2021
Forest has welcomed reports that the Cabinet has rejected a plan by health secretary Sajid Javid to ban smoking in pavement areas outside pubs, cafes and restaurants.
Director Simon Clark said:
“Banning smoking in pavement areas would be insane. There is no justification for the government to intervene on public health grounds because there is no evidence that smoking outside is a significant risk to non-smokers.
“Having survived, with great difficulty, many of the regulations imposed during the pandemic, the last thing the hospitality industry needs is the threat of the smoking ban being extended to outdoor areas.
"Government should be reducing red tape, not adding to it with arbitrary regulations that can only hurt the hospitality industry by reducing customer choice."
He added:
“Under current regulations pubs, cafes and restaurants that provide outdoor seating on pavements must offer separate non-smoking areas.
“Smoking areas are optional and if proprietors don’t want to provide one they don’t have to, but they must have the freedom to choose based on customer demand and what’s best for their business.”
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- Forest condemns Local Government Association call to ban smoking outside pubs, cafes and restaurants
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- Implying that smokers are a financial burden to society is "dishonest" and "economically illiterate" says Forest
- Ban on flavoured e-cigarettes would be a "massive own goal"
- Ireland: ‘Butt Out’ campaign aims to stop cigarette vending machine ban
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- Government must resist temptation to over-regulate electronic cigarettes, says Forest
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- Tory MP leads opposition to ban on smoking in cars
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- Register now if you want to change the smoking ban
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