Hospitality faces potential outdoor smoking ban

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 29 August, 2024

Lighting up outside on restaurant terraces and pub gardens could be outlawed by the new Labour government, creating more uncertainty for businesses which are already struggling to encourage consumers to visit their venues.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has now confirmed that the government is looking into tougher restrictions on hospitality as a way of tackling preventable deaths linked to tobacco use and “alleviating the burden on the NHS”.

The statement comes at a time when consumer reluctance to spend money out of home is an ongoing theme for the UK’s bars and restaurants as the cost of living continues to rise.

Read more: Pernod Ricard forecasts return to growth in 2025 following wine sale

Now, businesses face further barriers as the government appears to be considering a ban on smoking in outdoor social spaces.

According to Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, “This comes with the prospect of serious economic harm to hospitality venues. You only have to look back to the significant pub closures we saw after the indoor smoking ban to see the potential impact it could have.

“This ban would not only affect pubs and nightclubs, but hotels, cafes and restaurants that have all invested significantly in good faith in outdoor spaces and continue to face financial challenges.”

“At a time when our industry desperately needs the freedom to trade, the last thing we need is further barriers,” added Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association.

“While these measures may rightly be driven by public health considerations, they risk dividing opinion and imposing yet another regulatory burden on businesses already facing considerable challenges.”

Smoking rates have been declining for many years in the UK, with many moving away from combustible cigarettes to vapes or forgoing altogether.

In lieu of imposing an outright ban in hospitality settings, the trade is instead calling on the government to assess other ways of tackling public health.

“The government must embark on a full and detailed conversation with affected parties on the impact of such a ban before any legislation is laid,” Nicholls said.

“It must also assess whether such a ban would achieve its aims of meaningfully reducing smoking or simply relocate smoking elsewhere, such as in the home."

Printer friendly version