22 September 2006
Wales is poised to follow Scotland by introducing a smoking ban in enclosed public places next spring.
First Minister Rhodri Morgan announced that the ban would begin on April 2, a month before the elections to the Welsh Assembly.
A ban will also be imposed in Northern Ireland on that date. In England no date has yet been specified.
Morgan said: 'The risks of second-hand smoke have been known for some time. This is why the National Assembly voted in 2003 to seek powers to ban smoking in enclosed public places.'
Chief medical officer for Wales Tony Jewell said the ban would prevent more than 400 deaths a year.
PFsep2006
