Brighton beach could become smoke-free under plans being considered by the city council.



The proposal to extend the smoking ban in pubs, cafes and shopping centres to outdoor public areas will be discussed on Tuesday by Brighton and Hove city council when it meets to decide whether a public consultation should go ahead.

If agreed, the consultation period will run from Wednesday for 12 weeks.

Brighton council already operates a voluntary ban on smoking in children’s play areas, but now the city’s parks and beaches could be smoke-free too.

Deborah Arnott, the chief executive of health charity Ash (Action on Smoking and Health), said the move could be good for the environment as well as health.

“A growing number of local authorities and other organisations are exploring ways of providing more smoke-free public places in response to public demand,” said Arnott. “Football grounds and railway stations are already smoke-free, and increasingly children’s play areas are going smoke-free too.

“Smoke-free beaches could provide a safe and pleasant environment, particularly for children but also for adults who want to avoid exposure to secondhand smoke, as well as reducing the amount of cigarette butt litter on beaches which doesn’t degrade quickly and is harmful to wildlife.”

A national smoking ban on workplaces and enclosed public areas was introduced in July 2007, and in October this year tobacco smoking in cars carrying children will also become illegal in England.

Smoking is the primary cause of premature death and preventable illness in the UK and accounts for more than 80,000 deaths a year.