Smoking Ban in Wales

[Guest guest]

I'm very pleased to say that a lot of the pubs and venues we have

visited lately are already non-smoking.

 

Jo

 

Plans for a smoking ban from 2 April face a late challenge from three

AMs who want Wales' ban delayed until the one in England starts in

July.

AMs have a free vote on the issue after a debate in the Senedd on

Tuesday.

 

The assembly government wants the ban on smoking in enclosed public

places to come in as soon as possible.

 

Clwyd South AM Karen Sinclair said pubs in border areas could suffer

if smokers cross to England, where they will be able to light up for

a while longer.

 

The Welsh Assembly Government says it believes the ban will save at

least 250 lives each year and has set aside £4m to implement a ban.

 

Ms Sinclair has joined forced with her Labour colleague, Vale of

Clwyd AM Ann Jones, and Conservative Glyn Davies, AM for Mid and West

Wales.

 

Implementation dates

 

She said: " I've got quite a few villages where pubs are very close

together across the border and I do worry that smoking commuters will

choose to go across the border.

 

" And when you are talking about 13 weeks' difference in the smoking

ban implementation dates, that's a significant length of time that

could have a significant economic impact on the small pubs. "

 

The UK Government unveiled plans in October 2005 to give the Welsh

assembly the power to ban smoking in public places.

 

Deputy Health Minister,John Griffiths said: " I'm quite clear that we

want to have a situation where people working in cafes, restaurants

and shopping centres, for example, are not breathing in other

people's smoke and having their health damaged.

 

" And we want that new, much better situation, here in Wales as soon

as we possibly can and, as I understand it, that date is the second

of April. "