01 March 2021 - Smoking banned at hospitals and playgrounds in Wales
Wales bans smoking at hospitals, schools and playgrounds
Steven Morris (The Guardian, 01/03/2021)
Wales has become the first of the UK nations to make it illegal to smoke on hospital and school grounds, public playgrounds and other outdoor day care and childminding settings.
A penalty of up to £100 could be given to anyone breaking the law, which is aimed at helping to discourage people from starting smoking and to support those trying to quit.
The Labour-led government said it also hoped to protect more people from being exposed to secondhand smoke and reduce the chances of children taking up the habit by making it seem less normal.
Hospital grounds, playgrounds and other places in Wales people can't smoke from March 1
John Cooper (Wales Online, 17/02/2021)
Smokers in Wales will soon be banned from lighting-up outside hospitals, schools and other educational institutions.
The Welsh Government is set to extend the indoor smoking ban introduced in 2007 to include certain outdoor areas from March 1, 2021.
We should follow Wales in widening the smoking ban
Helen Mead (Telegraph and Argus, 27/02/2021)
Well done to the Welsh government for its new rules prohibiting people from smoking at school gates.
From Monday smoking on hospital grounds will also be outlawed, as well as lighting up when adjacent to day care settings or in public playgrounds even if there are no children present.
Let’s hope they come down hard on those who flout the rules, some of which apply locally here in England, but which are often ignored. The last time I visited a hospital a group of at least six people who were clearly patients - including one woman on a drip - were smoking outside the main doors, in full view, under a ‘No Smoking’ sign.
Smoke-free law: guidance on the changes from March 2021
Welsh Government (21/01/2021)
On 1 March 2021, the law around smoking in certain settings in Wales will change.
This guidance sets out what this means and what those responsible for the new smoke-free places need to do.