(Title Image: Wikipedia, all rights released)
Yesterday, the Senedd was asked to approve new smoking regulations made under the Public Health Act 2017.
The new regulations will come into force on 1st March 2021.
The regulations (pdf; explanatory memorandum – pdf) set out that:
- There’ll be a duty on those in charge of hospitals, school grounds and public playgrounds to take “reasonable” steps to prevent people from smoking (a ban in all but name).
- Smoking will still be allowed within designated areas outside hospitals and within residential/boarding school grounds as long as it’s no bigger than 8.25 square metres and is at least 10 metres away from a smoke-free area.
- Parts of a dwelling used for a home-based business will need to be smoke-free if someone who works there doesn’t ordinarily live there or if it’s open to members of the public. There’s a similar measure for work vehicles.
- Self-contained holiday accommodation and holiday lets will need to be smoke-free by March 2022.
- Designated “smoking rooms” which meet strict conditions (i.e. ventilation) can still be allowed for research purposes, or for use by residents only in care homes and hospices.
- Hotels, members’ clubs and hostels (which use smoking rooms) will need to be smoke-free by March 2022, though this is extended to September 2022 for mental health units.
- Some of the on-the-spot fines for smoking-related offences have increased to bring them into line with dog fouling and littering.
Minister for Mental Health & Wellbeing, Eluned Morgan (Lab, Mid & West Wales), said the regulations would build on the government’s ambition for a smoke-free Wales by promoting behavioural changes.
Chair of the Constitution & Justice Committee, Mick Antoniw MS (Lab, Pontypridd), said the regulations do contain points of concern in relation to rights relating to private lives and private property. Chair of the Communities Committee, John Griffiths MS (Lab, Newport East), believed that stop smoking services should be more readily available to hospital patients who want to quit.
While supporting measures to clamp down on smoking, having lost family members to lung cancer, Shadow Health Minister, Andrew RT Davies MS (Con, South Wales Central), added to concerns about possible interference in private spaces.
The Minister said the regulations didn’t encroach into private spaces but were mainly restricted to public spaces such as hospital and school grounds.
The Tories had a free vote. Also, note that the Independent group is too big to list their individual votes from now on (in the graphic).
