Key Summary
- LGA suggested to extend smoking and vaping bans to cover all children’s playgrounds.
- They supported the move by the government.
- Smoking is the single largest cause of preventable death and disease.
The Local Government Association (LGA) has advised the Government to extend proposed smoking and vaping bans to cover all children's playgrounds to protect children from harmful tobacco and vape exposure.
The government consulted the organisation for a response on the proposed outdoor restrictions. On behalf of English councils, they supported the plans to expand smokefree, heated tobacco free and vape-free outdoor spaces in children’s playgrounds, health and social care, and education settings across England.
However, they drew attention to the publicly accessible playgrounds that are not managed by local authorities, which are not covered by the new update.
LGA wants to include these playgrounds too as the exclusion created gaps in protection that could expose children to smoking and vaping.
Smoking ranks as the top preventable cause of death, disability, and illness in the UK.
Beyond the playground expansion, the LGA is also calling for mandatory minimum standards for signage and clearer guidance on positioning designated smoking areas away from gates and boundaries to prevent smoke build-up.
Furthermore, the association is pressing for the vaping exemption to cover all commissioned smoking cessation services, while demanding full New Burdens Funding to ensure local councils can afford the resulting enforcement, advisory work, and street cleaning costs.
Cllr Dr Wendy Taylor MBE, Chair of the LGA's Health and Wellbeing Committee, emphasised that no child should be exposed to second-hand smoke or vapour clouds in public spaces designed for their health, education, and play. She also said that reducing the visibility of smoking vaping is an important step in our approach to prevention.
“Councils must be adequately funded to implement and enforce these measures. We look forward to working with Government to shape practical, workable measures that keep our public spaces healthy for everyone,” she added.
