The government is planning to make it illegal to to smoke outside schools, hospitals and in children’s playgrounds
The ban is being proposed to protect children and the most vulnerable.
But the government has not included a ban on smoking in gardens of pubs and bars in England as part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill would also make it impossible for anyone currently aged 15 or under to buy cigarettes – something the previous government had planned – and give more powers to restrict vape flavours, displays and packaging.
It said it was also considering outdoor vaping bans too in some places.
A ban on the sale of single-use disposable vapes from next June in England and Wales has already been announced.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the government was taking “bold action” to create a smoke-free generation, “clamp down on kids getting hooked on nicotine through vapes” and protect the vulnerable from the dangers of second-hand cigarette smoke.
The proposals will all be open to public debate over the coming months.
Under the bill, shops would have to obtain a licence in order to sell tobacco, vape and nicotine products in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This would mean on-the-spot fines of £200 for retailers selling unregulated products or to people aged under 18.
The government said that smoking puts huge pressure on the NHS. It kills 80,000 people a year in the UK and is responsible for one in four of all deaths from cancer.
It also increases the risk of many illnesses including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, asthma and dementia.
The government said smoking also cost the economy £18bn a year in lost productivity, with smokers a third more likely to be off work sick.
Health charities have welcomed the bill, which will be subject to consultation for the next six months.
Action on Smoking and Health said it would help create a country where young people would never start smoking.
“It is important to have the debate about how we will protect children and vulnerable people from the harms of second-hand smoke,” said the charity’s chair, Prof Nick Hopkinson.
He added: “A key next step is for the government to set out further how it will help the UK’s six million smokers to quit. This will require a properly funded plan, paid for by a levy on tobacco companies.”
