FORMER police officers have attacked “crazy” plans to ban outdoor smoking while letting cannabis users off the hook.
Smokers will be banned from lighting up in pub gardens, outside hospitals and sports grounds and in children’s parks under Labour’s nanny action.
4
Ex-cops hit out at ‘crazy’ plans to ban outdoor smoking as cannabis users get off scot-freeCredit: Shutterstock
4
Former head of the police unit Meta Insp. Mick Neville said: ‘Many of the same people who want to ban normal smoking want to legalize marijuana’ Credit: Jon Bond – The Sun
4
The number of people found by the police with cannabis has almost halved in the last 15 years Credit: Getty
However, alarming statistics show that the number of people found by the police with cannabis has almost halved in the last 15 years.
Former police officers said the force had effectively “given up” on enforcing the law against weed smokers.
An extended smoking ban will put even more pressure on overstretched forces who may eventually have to oversee the new laws, experts warn.
Former head of the police unit Insp Mick Neville said: “You only have to walk down the street to smell the smoke of cannabis.
“Many of the same people who want to ban normal smoking want to legalize marijuana. It’s a stupid situation — more of a two-tier police law.
“And who will implement it? A pub owner can enforce it in his garden, but you can’t have people loitering in parks and paying fines. That’s insane.
“The police force is already overstretched. Instead of tinkering around the edges, we should focus on making Britain a safer place – by locking up rapists, burglars and other criminals.
“Maybe you could think about it when every other criminal is in prison, but this is crazy.”
The Sun revealed last week that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer plans to drastically extend the smoking ban.
Councils are responsible for enforcing the law that prohibits smoking in public buildings.
Keir Starmer’s smoking ban will hit pubs and NOT stop people lighting up
But experts have warned that the police will eventually have to get involved if the Labor government goes ahead with its plan to ban gays outside football stadiums and in many parks.
And the law could backfire and cause anti-social behavior and riots, warned former top police officers.
Simon Ovens, a former Met officer, said the ban could put extra pressure on the underfunded force.
He said: “If they tried to extend the ban to smoking outside hospitals or sports grounds, although local authorities would enforce it, if it got argy-bargy, the police would get involved.
“The police are overworked and there have been cuts. It would be another thing to add to their heavy workload.
“I think it’s a good idea to run it in pub gardens, but it’s too far to try to run it outside public places.
“It could end up leading to more disruption and anti-social behavior than it’s worth. Anti-smoking is quite a loud thing – people get very upset about it.”
Labour’s controversial crackdown on cigarettes comes as statistics show police have become soft on marijuana enforcement.
Police recorded 92,003 cases of possession of cannabis in 2023-24, according to the Office for National Statistics. This is 20 percent less than in 2019, when 113,771 cases were recorded. And in 2009-10. there were 162,800 recorded cases.
Mr Ovens said: “The level of enforcement of cannabis smoking is disgraceful.
You walk around London and it smells like cannabis
Simon Owens, former Met officer
“You walk around London and it smells like cannabis.
“Politicians seem to have taken the position that they don’t think smoking cannabis is a very serious crime, and the police have largely stopped enforcing the law around personal use of cannabis.”
‘It makes no sense’
Ministers are expected to formally present the anti-smoking bill in the next three weeks.
Lighting will be prohibited in open-air restaurants, open spaces in clubs and pubs, and on pavements adjacent to both.
It will also be applied outside universities, hospitals, sports fields, children’s playgrounds and small parks.
People will still be allowed to sparkle in their homes and gardens.
However, the outdoor smoking ban will not automatically apply to Parliament’s outdoor bars – but everyone is expected to comply voluntarily with the law if it comes into force.
But writing in today’s Sun on Sunday, right, former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said banning cigarettes outside “makes no sense”. He said it “reeks again of an unnecessary, crass nanny state”.
Ministers are also expected to deal with the growing number of vape shops by licensing them. Some officials also want smokers to be offered cash to quit smoking.
The pilot program is considered a success, but no formal proposal has yet been made to Health Minister Wes Streeting.
Labour’s Jacqui Smith has admitted the party wants to stop smoking altogether.
A government spokeswoman said: “We are taking preventative public health measures to better support people to live longer and healthier lives.”
Additional reporting: Andy Buckwell
4
Police officers at pro-cannabis demonstrations in London Credit: Alamy
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education