Apparently Mark Drakeford has proposed a ban on e-cigs in public places. I'm not sure where to start with this one. I can't believe that this is a priority for anyone connected with the Welsh govt. or anyone connected with public health in Wales.

My anecdotal experience of e-cigs is that they are used by existing smokers to either cut down on cigarette intake or to stop smoking completely. They don't have the harmful chemicals contained in cigarettes and the vapour is odourless. Whilst it is still early days it does appear that for those who are unable to give up smoking completely this is much safer than continuing with cigarettes and potentially could be a public health benefit. This is also the conclusion reached by ASH.

I always considered the smoking ban to be on the grounds of the health and welfare of those who didn't smoke. Is there any evidence whatsoever that the vapour emitted by e-cigs affects the health and welfare of those in close proximity? If there was then surely we would have heard about it.

This smacks of over bearing government trying to address a problem that doesn't exist because it needs to justify itself. There does not appear, at this stage, any compelling reason for a ban other than a vague theory that e-cigs might 'normalise' smoking even though smoking is not illegal and is still carried out by about 25% of the adult population.

I'm not a smoker myself so have no axe to grind. Frankly it is absurd that this should have taken up any ministerial time at all given some of the well publicised problems with the NHS and it will only serve to reinforce the impression that the Welsh govt. is fiddling while Rome burns.

The WA is a waste of time, in the same bill is a duty on LA to provide public toilets, oh dear WG, seem not to be able to do anything, the people of wales need to vote them out