The indoor smoking ban is set to be extended to certain outdoor settings across the UK, the Government has announced.
As part of a long-mentioned plan to create a ‘smokefree generation’ by phasing-out the sale of tobacco products to anyone aged 15 or younger nationwide from this year, and ultimately “break the cycle of addiction and disadvantage”, the Government has now introduced a new Tobacco and Vapes Bill to Parliament.
Health Ministers says the Bill will bring about tougher action to better protect the public, the NHS, and the economy from the harms of smoking.
As recent statistics have shown that smoking claims around 80,000 lives a year in the UK, which costs taxpayers £3.1 billion annually due to pressures on the NHS, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill forms part of the Government’s reform agenda to “shift the focus of healthcare from sickness to prevention”.
Ultimately, the Bill is aiming to address one of the biggest risk factors driving poor health – smoking.
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As well as the phasing-out of tobacco to anyone aged 15 or younger, the Government says it’s also considering giving powers to extend the indoor smoking ban to specific outdoor spaces – with children’s playgrounds, the outside of schools, and hospitals, all being considered, subject to consultation.
Extending restrictions in places that are currently smoke free to also become vape free, especially in areas where there are children and young adults, is also being considered.
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“These measures will help protect children from becoming hooked on nicotine while continuing to enable adult smokers to use vapes as a quit aid,” a Government spokesperson explained.
The new Tobacco and Vapes Bill is set to sit alongside the already-announced ban on vape advertising and sponsorship, as well as the powers to restrict the flavours, display, and packaging of all types of vapes.
It also follows the news that disposable vapes are due to be banned from 1 June next year, which was announced towards the end of last month.
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Our Tobacco and Vapes Bill will protect the public, NHS and economy from the harms of smoking.
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— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) November 5, 2024
“Unless we act to help people stay healthy, the rising tide of ill-health in our society threatens to overwhelm and bankrupt our NHS,” explained Health Sectretary, Wes Streeting.
“Prevention is better than cure. This Government is taking bold action to create the first smokefree generation, clamp down on kids getting hooked on nicotine through vapes, and protect children and vulnerable people from the harms of second-hand smoke.
Streeting says this “historic” legislation will “save thousands of lives” and “protect the NHS”.
“By building a healthy society, we will also help to build a healthy economy, with fewer people off work sick,” he concluded.
Featured Image – Pxhere
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Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
‘The average cost of a pint’ in the UK by region, according to the latest data
Danny Jones
Does it feel like pints keep getting more and more expensive almost every week at this point? Yes. Yes, it does, and while you can’t expect a city as big as Manchester to be one of the cheapest places to get one in the UK, we do often wonder how it compares to other parts of the country.
Well, as it happens, someone has recently crunched the numbers for us across the nation, breaking down which regions pay the most and the least for their pints.
The data has been examined by business management consultancy firm, CGA Strategy, using artificial intelligence and information from the latest Retail Price Index figures to find out what the ‘average cost of a pint’ is down south, up North and everywhere in between.
While the latest statistics provided by the group aren’t granular enough to educate us on Greater Manchester’s pint game exactly, we can show you how our particular geographic region is looking on the leaderboard at the moment.
That’s right, we Mancunians and the rest of the North West are technically joint mid-table when it comes to the lowest average cost of a pint, sharing the places from 3rd to 8th – according to CGA, anyway.
Powered by consumer intelligence company, NIQ (NielsenIQ) – who also use AI and the latest technology to deliver their insights – we can accept it might seem like it’s been a while since you’ve paid that little for a pint, especially in the city centre, but these are the stats they have published.
Don’t shoot the messenger, as they say; unless, of course, they’re trying to rob you blind for a bev. Fortunately, we’ve turned bargain hunting at Manchester bars into a sport at this point.
We might not boast the lowest ‘average’ pint cost in the UK, but we still have some bloody good places to keep drinking affordable.
London tops the charts (pretends to be shocked)
While some of you may have scratched your eyes at the supposed average pint prices here in the North West, it won’t surprise any of you to see that London leads the way when it came to the most expensive pint when it came to average cost in the UK.
To be honest, £5.44 doesn’t just sound cheap but virtually unheard of these days.
CGA has it that the average cost of a beer in the British capital is actually down 15p from its price last September, but as we all know, paying upwards of £7 for a pint down that end of the country is pretty much par for the course the closer you get to London.
Yet more reason you can be glad you live around here, eh? And in case you thought you were leaving this article with very little, think again…
Emily Sergeant -
6th November 2024 
