The government has refused to rule out banning smoking in beer gardens as part of a major review which could also see the legal age to buy cigarettes increased. Tobacco firms could be forced to pay a “polluter” tax to help smokers quit, while the legal age for buying tobacco should rise every year, according to a Government-commissioned review.
The minimum age at which people can buy a tobacco product in England should go up by a year annually until the point where no-one can buy them, said Dr Javed Khan, who led the study into how England can become smoke-free.
When asked specifically about beer gardens, Downing Street did not rule out a ban - instead saying the Government-commissioned review into smoking will be “carefully considered”. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “I’m not going to jump ahead and start opining on different recommendations, this is a detailed piece of work which needs to be carefully considered and then we will set out our view."
