Fresh’s initial response to the launch of Government’s consultation on expanding smokefree legislation as part of Tobacco and Vapes Bill
North East tobacco control programme, Fresh, has welcomed the Government’s launch of a consultation on expanding smokefree legislation as part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
It comes ahead of the 20th anniversary tomorrow (February 14) of the historic parliamentary vote to bring in comprehensive smokefree legislation in workplaces and enclosed public places – which was a landmark in public health legislation and has protected millions of people from the harms of lethal secondhand tobacco smoke and proved to be very popular with the public.
The new Government consultation proposes to:
- Extending smokefree restrictions to some outdoor settings – school grounds, council-owned parks, hospital grounds
- Restricting vaping in indoor settings where smoking is prohibited and around schools and playgrounds
- Ensuring that use of heated tobacco products is prohibited where smoking is.
The Government’s stated intention is to update the law across these three areas and bring the law in line with public preferences and to provide greater clarity for employers and service providers.
Fresh welcomes the opportunity to look carefully at the proposals and to respond using all the available evidence on what will continue to reduce smoking rates, narrow health inequalities, provide protection from secondhand smoke, recognise the importance of minimising the appeal of vaping to children and young people – whilst acknowledging that vaping is one of the most effective tools to help people quit smoking and is significantly less harmful than tobacco smoke but not risk free. Current evidence that exposure to secondhand vapour poses a significant risk to health has not yet accumulated.
Ailsa Rutter, OBE, Director of Fresh and Balance, said: “The North East has achieved the biggest drop in smoking of all regions over the last 20 years and there has been a huge shift in the social norms around smoking. With our clear regional vision for a totally smokefree future, it is the right time to review and renew smokefree laws to better protect our communities from the harms of secondhand smoke and to explore evidence-based policies that can help us make further progress.
“It is clear that tobacco is a uniquely lethal product and kills up to two in three long-term smokers. However, it does not only affect the person who smokes, it also affects their loved ones. Exposure to secondhand smoke causes serious health problems among adults and children and this is why we need to extend smokefree protections to places like playgrounds and outside schools to help protect the most vulnerable.
“With vaping being the most popular and effective way to quit smoking we welcome the Government’s proposal to have exemptions in settings where vaping supports stopping smoking particularly within mental health settings where smoking rates remain much higher. Significant progress is already being made in the region, thanks to excellent work from across NHS and local authority partners, who are focusing more than ever to provide tailored support for quitting.
“It is also important that vaping is not included in outdoor hospital restrictions where it can support people to remain smokefree. A balanced approach is essential to ensure that efforts to reduce exposure to vapour do not unintentionally undermine progress in reducing smoking.
“The public consultation is an important opportunity for people and organisations to have their say and help shape how these proposals could work in practice.”