The government is considering a ban on outdoor smoking including in beer gardens and areas outside nightclubs, according to leaked Whitehall documents.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson did not confirm if the proposed ban would go ahead but said it was "considering a range of measures to finally make Britain smoke-free". A ban on outdoor smoking has been widely criticised by leaders in the hospitality industry, who said pubs and clubs are already struggling due to the cost of living.
Hull has the second-highest rate of smokers in the country, according to data released by the government eight months ago. One in five Hull people smoke whereas the average number of smokers in the UK is closer to one in eight people (12.9 per cent) according to the Office for National Statistics.
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Hull Live visited Old Town to see how the people who run pubs and bars in Hull felt about the proposed ban.
Dennis Wann, the landlord of Sailmaker's Arms and Ye Olde Black Boy, both in High Street, said: "We have just spent £2,500 re-doing the roof terrace in Black Boy so people could go up there and smoke so they weren't on the street. Is that £2,500 wasted? Will people still use it if they aren't smoking?
"It's been proven when they stopped smoking inside - which I agreed with - that it didn't really affect people coming to the pub. Hopefully, it won't affect people again - but it is a bit of a nanny state.
"If you don't like people smoking around you then ask them to move or move yourself. There seem to be too many rules when there are enough problems we need to sort out bigger than people smoking in beer gardens."
Dennis said pubs are facing plenty of difficulties already due to inflation. He said: "Our costs have gone up at least 32%. Stuff we hire like glass washers, ice machines, and dishwashers, they are all index-linked, as is the rent.
"Because of Liz Truss and these inflation figures, we are paying an extra £17,000 per year for what we had two years ago. That's ongoing, it's not going to drop back down and we won't see negative inflation so I estimate it will be £20,000 more we are paying to do the same job by this time next year than we were pre-Covid."
Shaunilee Stewart, the landlady of Manchester Arms in Scale Lane, said a government ban on outdoor smoking would be "the worst thing they could do for pubs". She believed people would still smoke, but do it at home instead of visiting pubs.
"Pubs quietened off with the first ban for smoking inside pubs," she said. "I think most people will stop coming out because they can smoke at home and during Covid they made bars in their back garden so they can do what they want in there.
"A lot of people want a cig when they are having a drink so it's probably not the best idea. It's already hard because people can't afford to go out as much as they used to. The gas and electric has gone up and everyone is struggling. Everyone still likes a drink so you manage to make it work but it's been quiet."
Matt Appleyard, assistant general manager at The White Hart Pub in Alfred Gelder Street, said: "I think it won't be good for business. A lot of people, especially in summer, want to sit outside and have a drink and part of that is having a cigarette and socialising.
"If it's not inside the pubs it doesn't negatively affect other people's health. If smoking is something people aren't comfortable with they can always sit inside or sit away from people who are smoking. I think a ban is probably going to have a negative impact on the pub trade."
Matt said "quite a lot" of people visiting The White Hart Pub smoke. He added: "I don't think it's right for that [a ban on outdoor smoking] to be enforced especially if it's outside. I don't see the health benefit of doing that.
"I can see why they want to discourage smoking but I don't think it's right to police that in pub spaces. Drinking is also not good for your health, there are lots of things that aren't good for your health but you should let people decide what they want to do. If people want a cigarette and a pint in a pub garden on a nice day, that is up to them."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We do not comment on leaks. Smoking claims 80,000 lives a year, puts huge pressure on our NHS, and costs taxpayers billions.
"We are determined to protect children and non-smokers from the harms of second-hand smoking. We’re considering a range of measures to finally make Britain smoke-free."
