Smoking should be banned in outdoor places such as beer gardens, cafe pavements and beaches, a review calling for a radical shake-up of tobacco laws has suggested. The plan, commissioned by the Government, said ministers will not meet their pledge to make England smoke-free by 2030 unless reforms are brought in as a matter of urgency.
Dr Javed Khan, who led the review, set out 15 recommendations calling for action, including banning supermarkets from selling tobacco or cigarettes and mass stop-smoking campaigns on TV and social media. Among the recommendations are four “critical must-dos” for the Government to be acted upon immediately, including an extra £125million per year to fund the support that smokers need to help them quit.
This should include investing an extra £70 million per year in stop-smoking services, with a possible tax on tobacco firms to pay for it, the report said.
