Smoking banned at children's football matches in Wales

Smoking on the sidelines at children's football matches will now be banned in Wales.

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) has asked 522 junior clubs in Wales to tell parents, and other people watching the game, not to smoke during matches and training sessions for children aged five to 13.

Wales is the first country in the UK to introduce such a ban, which has been supported by health officials and the Welsh government and will be phased in over the next two years.

However, it will be up to the individual clubs and coaches to actually enforce the voluntary smoking ban.

The FAW hopes the ban will help to stop the habit becoming "normalised" for children, and prevent the risk of passive smoking.

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Clubs are being given promo items to help them to publicise the ban

Health minister Vaughan Gething said: "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."

A group called Forest ,who support the right to smoke, said the number of smokers at games is small and that: "most eyes will be on the football".

The FAW are also looking at introducing a smoking ban at matches for older children too in the future.

New rules and regulations banning smoking in public playgrounds, on school grounds and by hospitals are also due to come into force in Wales next year.