UK Allegedly Considering Outdoor Smoking Bans

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Facts

  • UK news outlet The Sun has claimed that outdoor smoking in several locations such as pub gardens, outdoor restaurants, and small parks may be banned by the new Labour government, according to the so-called Whitehall papers.[1]
  • Other locations alleged to be banned include sidewalks outside universities, hospitals, and nightclubs. The policy is not expected to affect private gardens and large public areas.[2][3]
  • When asked by reporters, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that he was 'going to take decisions in this space,' and that 'more details will be revealed.'[4]
  • An outdoor smoking ban was not mentioned in either the Labour Party's 2024 election manifesto or July's King's Speech outlining the government's legislative agenda.[5][6]
  • However, the Labour government has already announced its intention to continue with a Conservative-era bill to ban the sale of tobacco to those born on or after Jan. 1, 2009.[7]
  • A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care has stated that it does not comment on 'leaks,' before stating that smoking kills 80K/year while placing pressure on the National Health Service and costing taxpayers billions.[7][8]

Sources: [1]The Sun, [2]Daily Mail, [3]Guardian, [4]X, [5]GOV.UK, [6]The Labour Party, [7]BBC News and [8]GB News.

Narratives

  • Right narrative, as provided by Express.co.uk and The Telegraph. The oppressive Labour nanny state strikes again. Having already stolen the right to smoke indoors during their last premiership, deceitful Starmer and his party's authoritarian socialist agenda continue to attack the freedom of the British people. Beginning with tobacco, and soon to be alcohol, the UK's liberties are set to be slowly eroded under misleading pretenses of health and safety.
  • Left narrative, as provided by The Conversation and ASH. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of illness and death across the world, often resulting in lung disease, lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and diabetes while costing the UK economy billions of pounds in health and social care as well as lost productivity. As support in favor of a smoke-free society continues to grow, now is the time for the UK to take further action.

Predictions