Keir Starmer says outdoor smoking ban will ’ease NHS burden’

Sir Keir Starmer appears to have confirmed government plans to ban smoking in pub and restaurant gardens, saying smokers place a “huge burden” on the NHS. READ MORE: The prime minister said his government was “going to take decisions in this space” and pointed to the cost to the taxpayer of treating smokers for preventable illnesses. Ministers are considering extending legislation that will ban people under 14 from ­ever buying cigarettes to include tougher restrictions long favoured by public health ­experts. Read the best of our journalism: Subscribe to The Times and The Sunday Times YouTube channel: Find us on Facebook: Find us on Twitter: Find us on Instagram: