Race to prohibition

I was on BBC Radio Wales this morning discussing the new smoking law in Wales.

Just to remind you, the smoking ban has been extended to hospital grounds, school playgrounds and children's play areas with the threat of a £100 fine for those who transgress.

Earlier the Welsh Government told the BBC that they will now move to ban smoking outside cafes and restaurants, and in town and city centres.

There's nothing new in this. The Welsh Government made its intentions clear last year and Covid has no doubt given ministers a thirst for imposing further regulations on the population, regardless of their merit.

What we are seeing though is a road map to prohibition. Pubs may be spared in the next assault on smokers but the direction of travel is clear.

Furthermore with each step the Welsh Government wants to declare itself the 'first UK nation' to ban this, then that.

See 'Wales becomes first UK nation to ban smoking at all hospital sites and playgrounds'.

Heavily influenced by Ireland, Scotland led the way with the indoor public smoking ban but the other home nations quickly followed. Now it's Wales' turn to take the initiative.

If Scotland responds we could have a race to prohibition on our hands. Devolution has a lot to answer for.

Meanwhile it will be interesting to see whether the Welsh Labour Party includes further smoking bans in their manifesto prior to the Senedd election in May.

And how will the Welsh Conservatives respond? If there's an opportunity to put clear blue water between them and Labour it's surely on issues such as this, given the impact on small businesses and the importance of choice and personal responsibility.

My guess is that the Tories will flunk the challenge but it would be nice to be proved wrong.