The measures would also see vaping banned in children’s playgrounds and outside schools
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Vaping could be banned in cars carrying children under new Government proposals aimed at expanding smoke-free spaces and protecting young people from secondhand smoke.
Under plans announced by the Department of Health and Social Care, people would be prevented from smoking, vaping or using heated tobacco products in vehicles carrying under-18s, as well as in children’s playgrounds and outside schools.
Ministers said the proposals are designed to protect children and vulnerable people from the health risks linked to secondhand smoke, as part of wider efforts to reduce smoking-related harm and ease pressure on the NHS.
If introduced, existing indoor smoke-free areas would also become vape-free and heated tobacco-free. This would include workplaces, public transport and private vehicles carrying children.
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.”
Smoking would also be banned outside hospitals and healthcare settings, although vaping would still be permitted in those areas in an effort to support smokers attempting to quit.
Outdoor hospitality spaces such as pub gardens, bars and restaurant terraces would be exempt from the proposed restrictions, along with “wide-open public spaces” including beaches. People would continue to be free to smoke or vape in their own homes or private outdoor areas.
The consultation forms part of the Government’s wider Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is currently progressing through Parliament.
England’s chief medical officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, said exposure to secondhand smoke can cause “significant harmful effects”, including increased risks of asthma, stroke, heart disease and several cancers.
He said: “The health risks are greatest for children, pregnant women and people with medical conditions.
“These measures would reduce the harm secondhand smoke causes the most medically vulnerable in our society.”
The measures are subject to public consultation, which would examine how outdoor boundaries should be defined and what exemptions may be required to ensure the rules are proportionate and workable.
Business minister Kate Dearden said the proposals were designed to protect families without placing additional pressure on the hospitality sector, adding that outdoor hospitality areas had been excluded after industry concerns were raised.
Health charities have welcomed the plans.
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.”
Cancer Research UK’s executive director of policy and information, Dr Ian Walker, said: “We support the UK Government taking action to create a smoke-free future and protect the most vulnerable in society.”
UK Hospitality has been contacted for comment.
