A
blanket ban on smoking in public places in Wales is to be implemented
within the next few years, according to Health Minister Dr Brian Gibbons.
Dr
Gibbons has said he "fully accepted" a smoking ban in workplaces
and enclosed public places was needed. In May, a cross-party group of AMs
recommended that smoking in enclosed public places should be banned. The
Welsh ban will go further than the one being put forward in England, where
pubs serving food would be exempt.
Dr
Gibbons said: "Pubs, bars and restaurants are areas of particular
risk for workers and customers," he said. "If
we are serious about protecting public health then they must be included
in any proposed ban.
"Research
shows that customers, including smokers, quickly accept smoke-free as the
norm and that smoke-free areas discourage people from taking up
smoking."
He
said that health concerns had prompted the move.
"Smoking
is the major preventable cause of illness and premature death in Wales -
causing around 6,000 deaths each year.
"Second
hand smoke contributes to over 400 deaths each year.
"Adult
non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke have a substantially
increased risk of lung cancer, heart disease and chronic respiratory
disease.
"Second-hand
smoke is a serious public health risk that needs to be addressed. This
will have health benefits for both smokers and non-smokers.
"Those
are the facts, and we must act on them."
He
said the assembly government would now take steps to put the ban in place.
"The
Westminster government has signalled its intention to enable us in Wales
to make our own decisions on this issue," he said.
"The
next steps will be the Health Improvement and Protection Bill going into
Parliament for its first reading, which is likely to be in the autumn.
"Once the Bill receives royal assent, we will carry out a
consultation on draft regulations for Wales.
"In
the meantime we will be strengthening smoking cessation services,
developing a public awareness campaign and holding discussions with key
stakeholders on implementation of the ban.
"In
Wales we took the historic vote to ban smoking in public places.
"We
will soon have the powers to implement that ban and we are pressing ahead.
The experience in Ireland and New York, for example, show that this is the
right thing to do."
