Government announces revival of Tobacco and Vapes Bill, limiting sale and marketing of vapes
July 17, 2024
King Charles III and Queen Camilla walk through the Royal Gallery during a ceremony on the day of the State Opening of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster, on July 17, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Hannah McKay - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
King Charles set out prime minister Keir Starmer’s legislative agenda on Wednesday, including the revival of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to introduce a generational tobacco ban and restrict the availability of vaping products.
The bill proposed by the previous Tory government has been lapsed as it was not included in the ‘wash-up’ period where legislation is rushed through before parliament shuts down.
The bill was set to make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born after January 1, 2009 – effectively raising the smoking age by a year each year until it applies to the whole population. The legislation also sought to clamp down on young people vaping by restricting flavours and packaging to make them less appealing to children.
Commenting on the proposal, Michael Landl, director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, urged the new the government to not repeat the old mistakes.
“It is already clear that the generational smoking ban won’t work, because prohibitions never work. What makes the plan even worse is the crackdown on less harmful alternatives. Less harmful alternatives like vaping must be key elements of an anti-smoking strategy. Science and real-life examples like Sweden are proof. Harm reduction works, prohibition fails. The UK must not go down this path,” he said.
“Ignoring the evidence and pursuing failed policies will only lead to more harm and higher smoking rates.”
