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Just over 20 years ago, Liverpool and councils across Merseyside helped advance the case for England's landmark comprehensive smokefree legislation.In 2005 Liverpool City Council pursued its own Bill to prohibit smoking in enclosed workplaces, followed by a separate Merseyside Bill. When comprehensive national legislation followed in 2007, Parliament acknowledged the contribution these local efforts had made to the wider debate.The relevance today is not simply historical. It demonstrates how local government can help turn an emerging national ambition into practical protection for communities.We are now counting down to another historic change. From 1 January 2027, it will become illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, beginning the process of creating the country's first smokefree generation.The Tobacco and Vapes Act also creates powers to extend smoke and vape-free requirements to certain outdoor settings, including areas outside schools, playgrounds and hospitals. Those measures have been subject to consultation and introduced separately, rather than automatically taking effect in January. But the direction is clear: the next phase of smokefree policy will increasingly consider the shared spaces where children, young people and vulnerable residents spend their time.In Knowsley, we are beginning to put that principle into practice now.From national ambition to local actionKnowsley MBC is introducing smoke and vape-free zones across playgrounds, school grounds and entrances, youth centres, children's centres and family hubs, leisure centres, libraries and other public venues.This action sits within our wider work across Cheshire and Merseyside through All Together Smokefree and the Smoking Ends Here campaign, which share an ambition for the region to reduce smoking to less than 5% by 2030 and ultimately to end smoking, everywhere, for everyone.As part of that programme, a Smokefree Spaces Toolkit was launched in 2025 to support local authorities and NHS trusts to develop policies, communicate changes, consider enforcement and connect people with help to quit. Knowsley's approach demonstrates how those wider principles can be applied within a local place.The starting point must be the public health purpose, not the enforcement mechanism.Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable illness in Knowsley and a significant driver of health inequalities. There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke. Although exposure is generally lower outdoors, it can still occur where people gather closely, including around entrances, school gates, playgrounds and seating areas.Protection from exposure is important, particularly for children and vulnerable residents, but this is also about changing what people see around them. Making smoking less visible can help shift social norms, support people who are trying to quit and reduce the likelihood of children seeing tobacco use as a routine part of everyday life.Turning purpose into practiceOnce that purpose is clear, councils need to consider how policy, communications, support and enforcement work together.Knowsley is using Public Spaces Protection Orders to create an enforceable framework for its designated zones. Fixed Penalty Notices will be available where someone continues to smoke or vape, but enforcement is not the starting point. The approach will be phased, supportive and intelligence-led, with education used first.Signage and communications will explain where the zones apply and why they have been introduced. Staff working within those settings also need the confidence and guidance to respond consistently. These practical arrangements are as important as the legal order itself.Consultation has helped shape the approach from the outset. Residents, schools, community organisations, Merseyside Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner were involved, enabling the council to understand both the level of support and the practical considerations within different settings.Restrictions must also be accompanied by help for people who smoke. The scheme includes routes into specialist stop smoking services and dedicated Quit Zones for adults using vapes to quit. These will be positioned away from places where children are likely to be.This distinction is important. Vapes can be an effective quitting aid for adults who smoke, but they are not for children or non-smokers. A well-designed policy must protect young people without discouraging adults from using a less harmful alternative to tobacco as part of a quit attempt.Directors of public health across Cheshire and Merseyside were amongst the first in the country to call for stronger action to protect children from the availability, promotion and appeal of vapes. Normalising vape-free environments around children can reinforce the measures within the Act and help make vaping less visible and less routine.Emerging local schools data suggests there has been progress in reducing youth vaping across Cheshire and Merseyside with Trading Standards North West Survey data reporting a reduction in regular youth vaping from 14% in 2023 to 5% in 2026, supported through the ban on disposable vapes, as well as significant media and advocacy activity on youth vaping. Driving further change will be important, as will maintaining momentum through education, action on illegal sales, appropriate support for young people and healthier public environments.There will not be one identical approach for every council. The settings, legal arrangements and needs of communities will differ. However, Knowsley's work highlights questions every council should consider: what protection is the policy intended to achieve; which places should it cover; how will communities shape it; how will expectations be communicated; and what support will sit behind enforcement?The experience of 2007 showed that local action and national legislation can reinforce one another. As the next chapter of smokefree policy begins, councils can again help translate national ambition into meaningful change in the places people use every day. Dr Sarah McNulty, director of public health for Knowsley and lead director of public health for Cheshire and Merseyside's All Together Smoke Free programme

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PUBLIC HEALTH

How councils can create smoke and vape-free spaces

By Dr Sarah McNulty | 12 October 2026

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