Government Introduces Tobacco & Vapes Bill
The UK Government has introduced plans including an extended smoking ban “to protect children and most vulnerable” in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill today
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by Dave Cross
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The UK Government has introduced plans including an extended smoking ban “to protect children and most vulnerable” in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill today. The Labour administration says their “world-leading reforms” will “phase out smoking, protecting the public, NHS and economy and put us on track to a smokefree UK”.
- Government will be given powers to extend indoor smoking ban to certain outdoor settings, focused on protecting children and the most vulnerable, in addition to creating the first smokefree generation
- Bill will also ban vape advertising and sponsorship, as well as create new powers to restrict the flavours, display and packaging of all types of vapes
- Combined with on-the-spot fines, tougher action on enforcement and tighter regulation on vaping, the Bill will protect children and young people from harm and addiction
The Department of Health stated: “Tougher action to better protect the public, NHS and the economy from the harms of smoking will be set out in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, introduced in Parliament today (Tuesday 5 November).
“The world-leading Bill will include measures to create a smokefree generation, phasing-out the sale of tobacco products across the UK to anyone aged 15 or younger this year, breaking the cycle of addiction and disadvantage.
“In addition, the government will be given powers to extend the indoor smoking ban to specific outdoor spaces: with children’s playgrounds, outside schools and hospitals all being considered, subject to consultation.
“This sits alongside a ban in the Bill on vape advertising and sponsorship, as well as powers to restrict the flavours, display and packaging of all types of vapes, as well as other nicotine products.
“Disposable vapes are also due to be banned from 1 June 2025 under separate environmental legislation.
“The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is part of the government’s reform agenda to shift the focus of healthcare from sickness to prevention and will address one of the biggest risk factors driving poor health.
“Smoking claims around 80,000 lives a year in the UK, putting huge pressure on our NHS, taking up appointments, scans and operations, and costing taxpayers £3.1 billion a year.
“The cost of smoking to the economy is even greater, with £18 billion lost in productivity every year, as smokers are a third more likely to be off work sick.
“Tobacco is a uniquely harmful product, responsible for 1-in-4 of all cancer deaths and killing up to two-thirds of its long-term users. Smoking also substantially increases the risk of many major health conditions throughout people’s lives, such as strokes, diabetes, heart disease, stillbirth, dementia and asthma.
“Almost every minute, someone is admitted to hospital because of smoking and up to 75,000 GP appointments can be attributed to smoking each month – over 100 every hour.
“There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke, and this is particularly true for children – whose lungs and immune system aren’t as well developed as adults – as well as pregnant women and those with pre-existing health conditions.”
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
