Smoke-free and vape-free places

Government consultation

The Government has launched a consultation to explore new powers to make regulations on tobacco and vapes as part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

This consultation will seek views on:

• extending smoke-free laws to certain outdoor public places
• introducing heated tobacco-free places
• introducing vape-free places
• introducing exemptions such as allowing for designated smoking, heated tobacco and vaping areas within smoke free, heated tobacco-free and vape-free places
• defining boundaries and setting signage requirements for smoke-free, heated tobacco-free and vape-free places

These proposals aim to protect children and medically vulnerable people from second-hand smoke, heated tobacco emissions and vape vapours.

You can see the full list of health and care settings and education settings included in these proposals.

How we are responding

We are interested in the views of local residents to inform a collective responsive to this consultation, including views from a range of professionals.

We need to ensure that there are supportive, smoke-free environments for those who are trying to quit smoking. We do not want to risk people continuing to smoke or returning to smoking.

We also want to ensure more outdoor smoke-free environments to reduce the harms associated with second-hand tobacco smoke, especially where children and families gather and where there is a case to be made to protect the workforce.

Therefore, we need to ensure that there is a balance in increasing smoke-free places to protect the health of non-smokers, particularly vulnerable groups, while also ensuring that those who want to quit smoking by using a vape are supported to do so within society.

We do not want children and young people to vape. While vaping is less harmful than smoking, it is not completely risk free. Important policies are needed to address some of the unacceptable promotion, packaging and marketing designed to appeal to children and young people.

This consultation will close on 29 April 2026 to enable us to gather the information and respond to Government by 8 May 2026.

For more information contact PublicHealth@durham.gov.uk

To have this in a different format contact letstalkcountydurham@durham.gov.uk.