Football: Smoking at children's games to be banned in Wales

Smoking on the touchlines at children's football matches is being banned by the Football Association of Wales.

A total of 522 junior clubs affiliated to the FAW will be required to enforce the ban and will have to tell spectators that smoking is not allowed.

It is being phased in this month at under-12s games and will then be expanded to take in under-14s.

Smokers' group Forest said the number of smokers at games would be small and "most eyes will be on the football".

Clubs are being given promotional material to help them to publicise the ban, which has been set up with anti-smoking campaign group ASH Wales.

It comes after a pilot was held at Rhondda and District Football League's mini and junior football games and at the South Wales Women's and Girls' League junior matches.

The Welsh Government plans to ban smoking in playgrounds by March.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething praised the ban by the FAW and its trust, which supports grassroots football.

"Voluntary bans like this one help protect children from seeing smoking as an acceptable and normal behaviour and can help prevent them from taking up smoking in the first place," he said.

Dr David Adams, from the FAW Trust, said: "As a parent of children who take part in grassroots football, I am delighted with our partnership with ASH Wales, and that the FAW and FAW Trust are leading the way to help the next generation of children grow up recognising the health risks associated with smoking."

Former smoker Su Griffith agrees with the ban, saying "losing two hours not being able to have a cigarette isn't going to kill them".

Liam Jones said it was a "good idea" to protect people from second-hand smoke.

"It can affect kids' minds as well, thinking it's OK to smoke," he added.

Evelyn Roberts said the ban was "fine as long as there is a smoking shed or somewhere else for them to smoke".

And non-smoker Donna Williams said: "For the health of young children, I agree with banning it."

Parents at a children's football training session in Cardiff supported the move.

George Oliver said he did not see most parents smoking on the sidelines, but anything which re-enforced the message "has got to be a really positive thing".

Gemma Walsh said the move was "a good idea", while Rob Morville agreed, adding: "If you've got parents on the sidelines smoking, that's only going to give a bad impression to the children."

Suzanne Cass, from ASH Wales, said there was "an urgent need to address youth smoking prevalence which is still at an unacceptable level".

"This policy will make a big difference to children's perception of smoking and we very much hope that this will prevent many of them from taking up the habit in later life," she said.

Simon Clark, director of smokers' lobby group Forest, said "smoking in the open air does not put anyone else's health at risk".

"This is virtue-signalling by the FAW and further evidence that the war on tobacco is now a moral crusade with unintended consequences for tolerance and moderation," he said.

"A genuine problem at children's football matches is pushy parents screaming abuse at referees."