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Public Smoke Ban Could Spread Across Country

London is looking at making its public areas smoking free zones within the next few years.

A influential report commissioned by London mayor Boris Johnson says that lighting up should be banned in parks and other places controlled by local authorities.

The recommendation from the London Health Commission follows similar moves in other cities around the world.

And the report's author, Lord Darzi, says such action by London would be an example that the rest of Britain could follow.

Lord Darzi writes in the report, called Better Health For London: "London should lead the way for Britain, and the Mayor should lead the way for London by acting to make our public spaces smoke free.

"With 67 London schoolchildren starting smoking every day, urgent action is required.

"We have an opportunity to set a better example for London’s children by making parks and other places controlled by London's local and regional government smoke free."

The report says that New York, Hong Kong and several parts of Canada and Australia have also banned smoking from public areas.

The UK outlawed smoking inside venues in 2007 and 78% of adults are now reported to support the change.

But while there are now 2.4% fewer admissions to hospitals for heart attacks, many smokers have been unable to give up completely and 18% of people in the capital - more than one million - still light up regularly.

The report recommends the mayor: bans smoking in Trafalgar and Parliament squares; makes all Royal Parks smoke free, including Hyde Park, Regents Park and Kensington Gardens; asks Transport for London to outlaw smoking at bus stops and encourages local authorities to ban smoking in all other local authority-owned areas such as town centres and smaller green areas.

England's chief medical officer Professor Sally Davies backed the ban.

She said: "We all know smoking is bad for health so I welcome any measures to reduce both active smoking and its role modelling in front of children."

Pro-smoking campaigners objected however, saying the move would be an attack on personal liberties.

Simon Clarke of Forest said in a blog post: "A ban on smoking in parks and squares would be outrageous. There's no health risk to anyone other than the smoker. If you don't like the smell, walk away.

"Tobacco is a legal product. If the Chief Medical Officer doesn't like people smoking in front of children she should lobby the Government to introduce designated smoking rooms in pubs and clubs so adults can smoke inside in comfort."

The report makes a number of other recommendations to improve health including minimum pricing for alcohol, traffic-light labelling on restaurant menus, restrictions on "junk food outlets" near schools, Oyster card discounts for people who walk part of the way to work and measures to reduce air pollution.