Pavement cafes to be smoke free in Newcastle

Newcastle City Council is including a condition in the licences being fast-tracked to help pubs, restaurants and cafes reopen that ensures outdoor areas will be 100 per cent smoke free.

North East England has seen the highest rate of people quitting smoking since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Last month, the Local Government Association urged the government to make all pavement licences issued by councils subject to the condition that they are smoke-free places.

However, under the Business and Planning Bill, the government said that it will not ban outdoor smoking, because banning outdoor smoking would lead to significant closures and job losses. Planning Minister Christopher Pincher maintained that the amendment, although short of council’s requests, will ensure that customers are given more choice by ensuring premises offer separate seating for smokers and non-smokers outside.

Irim Ali, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and public health, said: “Smoking is very much not the social norm in Newcastle, with the vast majority of residents – 87 percent – not using tobacco products. It is therefore only right that we ensure our city works for them, and not the minority whose toxic fumes can have such a detrimental effect on people’s health, including causing a decline in lung function, which is hardly to be encouraged when a viral respiratory pandemic is ravaging the globe."

“Being 100 per cent smoke free in our new pavement café areas is a simple to understand and enforce idea, one that research from the Government and campaign groups like ASH show has widespread support, and which will both help prevent children being exposed to smoking and recent ex-smokers from being tempted to relapse. This policy is something that is needed, wanted and workable and we hope it will encourage families to come and enjoy all that our beautiful city has to offer.”