The Government is set to ban people from vaping in their own cars if children are present under new laws aimed at boosting the nation’s health.
All existing indoor places where smoking is already banned will become ‘heated tobacco-free and vape-free’, including workplaces, pubs, public transport and private vehicles carrying under-18s.
Meanwhile, smoking, vaping and heated tobacco will also be prohibited in some outdoor areas for the first time, including children’s playgrounds and outside schools, subject to consultation.
The Department of Health and Social Care said the move would protect children and vulnerable people, including from the harms of breathing in secondhand smoke.
But critics accused the government of ‘massive over-reach’ that risks further damaging a hospitality sector that is already under strain.
Under the proposals, smoking will be banned outside hospitals and other health facilities, though vaping would still be allowed in a bid to support smokers who are trying to quit.
Outdoor areas near hospitality venues, such as bar, pub and restaurant gardens, will be exempt from the ban, alongside ‘wide-open public spaces’ including beaches.
And people would continue to be able to choose whether to smoke or vape in their homes or in private outdoor spaces.
New laws aimed at boosting the nation’s health could see a ban on vaping in cars if children are present
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘No child in a playground or hospital patient should suffer because someone else chooses to smoke.
‘Secondhand smoke increases the risk of heart disease and lung cancer and we want to protect children and the sick from harm.
‘Prevention is better than cure, so this Government is taking pressure off the NHS and building a healthier Britain where everyone lives well for longer.’
The consultation marks an ‘important step’ towards implementing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is progressing through Parliament, the Department of Health and Social Care said.
The consultation will look at how outdoor boundaries will be set alongside possible exemptions, with the intention of making the rules proportionate and workable, it added.
But Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, told the Daily Mail: ‘Expanding the ban on smoking to also cover vaping in many places is a ridiculous, draconian move.
‘There is no scientific justification for banning vaping, as the water vapour doesn’t harm anyone.
‘A private car is about as private a place as you can get and it should be for the owner to decide whether they want to vape or let other vape in their vehicle.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said children ‘should suffer’ because ‘someone else chooses to smoke’
‘Likewise, if landlords want to ban customers vaping in their pub, that should be a decision for them to take and they can let customers choose whether they want to drink there or not.
‘An enforced nationwide ban risks sending vapers back to smoking – many will have switched to vaping as it allowed them to stay inside, but if you’re going to be forced outside to the smoking area, you might as well smoke.
‘This is another attack on the hospitality sector.’
Business minister Kate Dearden said: ‘These are targeted proposals to protect children and families from secondhand smoke and vaping, without placing extra pressure on pubs, restaurants or the wider hospitality sector.
‘We have been clear that we will support businesses, and after listening to their concerns, we have excluded outdoor hospitality spaces from these changes.’
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘No child should have to walk through a cloud of deadly secondhand smoke on their way to the classroom or playground, nor should any patient be exposed to harm on hospital grounds.
‘We strongly support the Government’s consultation and the landmark legislation behind it, and we call for urgent implementation to protect everyone from harm.’
