News Releases

Wales: Call to ban smoking in beer gardens "monumentally stupid"

Mon 21st June, 2021

A smokers' group says a call to ban smoking outside pubs in Wales is "monumentally stupid".

The anti-smoking group ASH Wales wants smoking to be banned in beer gardens to "protect children's health".

Simon Clark, director of the smokers' group Forest, said, "There is no risk to anyone else's health, including children, if people smoke outside in the open air.

"Smoking in beer gardens and other seating areas outside pubs is therefore an issue for individual proprietors not politicians or the public health industry.

"If publicans want to ban smoking in beer gardens that's their choice and there's nothing to stop them doing it now if they think it will be good for business.

"But pubs aren't health clubs and if publicans want to accommodate adults who wish to smoke they must be allowed to do so without further intervention."

Clark added:

"Threatening pubs with further regulations at the very moment the hospitality industry is trying to recover from the devastating impact of the pandemic is monumentally stupid."

Back to top