Ban on smoking outside pubs and restaurants backed by campaigners

Five councils - including Newcastle and Durham - have implemented rules to ban smoking on outside venues.

Northumberland and North Tyneside councils have also joined, with the new laws surrounding outdoor hospitality.

It's been met by some criticism - with people saying it's a smoking ban by stealth - but the news has been welcomed by Fresh.

The anti-smoking campaign group say the council's leadership can help those who are trying to quit and it's all part of new licenses which have been granted for outside areas.

Ailsa Rutter OBE, Director of Fresh and Balance, said:

“Fresh welcomes the leadership that is being shown by local authorities in the North East in addressing smoking as both our biggest killer and a significant cause of health inequalities.

“This approach makes complete sense. Less than one in seven people now smoke and most people are in favour of entirely smokefree seating areas.

“It is also really important to remember that we’ve seen record numbers of people quitting during the Covid pandemic which is fantastic. But relapse is common and smokers often make many attempts before they successfully quit.

"Making pavement cafes smokefree can really help to provide a supportive environment for those smokers who are trying to quit and to stay quit.

“Smokefree outdoor areas have been in place in many countries around the world for a long time and all the evidence points to high levels of compliance, public support and improvements in wellbeing.

“Like the smokefree law that was introduced in 2007 – one of the most popular and successful public health measures ever – smokefree pavement cafes is a largely self-enforcing policy so we’re not expecting the need for enforcement. The vast majority of people will welcome the smokefree environment.”

Cllr John-Paul Stephenson, cabinet member for environment and regulatory services at Newcastle City Council, said:

“We know how important it is that our hospitality trade has the space they need to be able to welcome customers back in a safe and socially distanced way, and we have been doing everything we can to support that.

“But we also know that, as a result of lighting up being banned indoors, that outdoor areas can easily become smoking areas, which is far from family friendly, and can create poisonous litter that harms our environment.

“As businesses may not have as much inside space for children and parents to avoid the effects of second-hand smoke we therefore need to make all of the new spaces we create as welcoming as possible, so that everyone can come and have a good time, and help return our city to the vibrant place we all love.”

Cllr Irim Ali, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and public health, said:

“The North East has seen the highest rate of people quitting smoking since the start of the pandemic, which is fantastic both for their health and that of everyone around them.

“However, we know that staying stopped can be far from easy, especially when someone might find themselves in an environment where other people are lighting up.

“As part of our fast-tracked measures to help the hospitality trade find the space they need to welcome back customers safely we’re including a requirement that new pavement café areas be smoke free.

“We know that is something that the vast majority of people support, as it makes businesses a nicer environment to visit, more family friendly, and has the added bonus of helping ex-smokers avoid relapsing."