British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that his government is giving consideration to introducing tougher rules on outdoor smoking, which could see it banned from spaces such as pub gardens and outdoor restaurants.
The Mirror reports that Mr Starmer confirmed to journalists in Paris that he is evaluating Britain’s smoking laws after leaked documents suggested that smoking could be banned in a variety of outdoor venues, such as sporting arenas, outside nightclubs and restaurants, pub gardens and in children’s parks among other places.
When asked about the reports, Mr Starmer said that there are over 80,000 smoking deaths every year, and that as a result, “we’ve got to take action” to reduce the burden on the National Health Service (NHS).
He added that more details would be revealed, but that he considered it important to get the “balance right,” because the NHS is “on its knees”.
The legislation would be included in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which was outlined in the King’s Speech when Mr Starmer’s Labour party was elected to government.
That legislation, from the previous Conservative government, would have outlawed the sale of tobacco to anyone born during or after January 2009.
It hasn’t been clarified whether the anti-smoking legislation would be enforced across the UK, or solely in England, though it is thought that devolved governments could introduce similar rules.
This comes as part of an ongoing effort to make the UK “smoke-free,” a priority Mr Starmer shares with his predecessor, Rishi Sunak.