Wales: rollout of smoke-free places

New announcements aimed at making Wales tobacco and smoke-free by 2030 have been made as part of a strategy to tackle health inequalities.[1]Smoking remains the leading cause of premature death in Wales with 5,600 deaths each year.

Although smoking prevalence in Wales has declined steadily in recent years, it remains high at 18.41% of adults (18+) and with large differences between population groups. Over a quarter of adults (261% of adults) in the most deprived areas of Wales smoke, compared with 111% of those in the most affluent areas. Smoking-attributable mortality is approximately 3.5 times higher among women in the lowest income quintile than among women in the highest income quintile. For men, the mortality difference is 2.5 times higher depending on the income level.

Expansion of tobacco- and smoke-free areas and strengthening of assistance for quitting

March 1, 2021[2], new legislation has come into force in Wales that bans smoking in playgrounds. The measure also applies to the outside perimeters of hospitals, as well as schools, outdoor nurseries and all childcare facilities. Wales has thus become the first nation in the United Kingdom to have implemented such regulations. From 1^er March 2022 smoking will also be banned in hotel rooms, guest houses, self-catering holiday accommodation such as cottages, caravans and AirBnBs. In addition, mental health units will be required to phase out all smoking rooms by 1 September 2022 and home care workers will be able to demand to work in a smoke-free environment (and conversely, people receiving a service will be able to legally require that the worker does not smoke in the home). These measures aim to protect people from tobacco smoke but also to denormalise tobacco use while encouraging smokers to quit and ex-smokers to maintain their quit.

The new strategy will also look at how additional support can be provided to help more people quit smoking through the National Health Service's free service, Help Me Quit. There will also be tailored support for people in hospital who smoke. Finally, smokers working in government-funded organisations could benefit from special support.

Keywords: Wales, Smoke Free Places, Tobacco Free Generation, Smoke Free Generation, 2030

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