Smoking to be banned in outdoor public squares in Bristol

Two city squares will become Britain’s first major public outdoor spaces to go smoke-free when a voluntary pilot launches today.

The initiative will come into effect in Millennium Square and Anchor Square both popular with families on Bristol’s harbourside.

It follows a major report last year by former health minister Lord Darzi which suggested that London and other UK cities should ban smoking in public spaces and parks.

Cities including New York, Toronto and Hong Kong have already banned smoking in key outdoor locations but Bristol is the UK’s first to pilot smoke-free zones.

Extensive research in the squares ahead of the pilot found most people were in support of a voluntary ban.

Some 53% described it as a “good or very good idea” with 61% agreeing the area would be a better place for most people if it were smoke-free.