FA Of Wales Bans Smoking At Children’s Games

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is set to become the first country in the UK to ban smoking on the sidelines of children’s football games. 

The decision taken by the FAW and the FAW Trust, and supported by anti-smoking charity ASH Wales and health promotion organisation Healthy Stadia, follows a campaign by anti-smoking charity ASH Wales to ‘de-normalise’ smoking in a bid to prevent children from ever taking up the habit and to prevent children from inhaling second-hand smoke while playing. The organisations also point to the increased risks faced by smokers as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the FAW and FAW Trust, 522 junior clubs – which oversee 3,159 teams and 42,232 players across Wales – will be asked to apply the policy during games and training sessions. The policy will see smoking banned from the sidelines at football matches across Wales organised for children aged 5-11-years-old from September 2020, followed by 5-12 from September 2021, then 5-13 from 2022. 

“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,” said Dr David Adams, Technical Director, FAW Trust.

“This step change is also part of our wider agenda to ensure children’s first experiences of small sided football are positive.”

Suzanne Cass, CEO of ASH Wales added: “Currently in Wales there is an urgent need to address youth smoking prevalence which is still at an unacceptable level.

“When children witness adults lighting up in everyday settings such as football pitches, they come to see smoking as a normal lifestyle choice, rather than the deadly addiction that it is.

“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.” 

The FAW has launched the policy to mark World Heart Day, which is run by the World Heart Federation and supported by UEFA and Healthy Stadia.

The policy initiative comes ahead of new regulations banning smoking in playgrounds and in the grounds of schools and hospitals as part of the Public Health (Wales) Act, that are due to come into force in March 2021.