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The UK government has revealed its plans to introduce a law making it illegal to smoke in children’s playgrounds and outside schools and hospitals in England. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill would also stop anyone currently aged 15 or under from buying cigarettes, as the previous government had intended, and grant more powers to restrict vape flavours, displays and packaging. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, it is already a crime to smoke on NHS hospital grounds. In addition, a decision to ban smoking in outdoor pub and bar gardens in England has been retracted.
The government is aiming to create a smoke-free generation, clamp down on children’s use of vapes, and safeguard the vulnerable from the risks of second-hand cigarette smoke. The proposals include expanding the indoor smoking ban to protect children and the most vulnerable in certain outdoor settings, such as schools and hospitals. The government is also contemplating vaping prohibitions in some outdoor places. The measures will be open to public discussion over the next few months.
England and Wales have already committed to prohibiting the sale of single-use disposable vapes from June 2022. Under the bill, retailers of vape, tobacco, and nicotine products in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will have to secure a license. Consequently, retailers selling non-compliant products or to under-18s will be subject to on-the-spot fines of £200. Scotland has had a registration system in place for retailers of these products since 2017.
Smoking puts enormous pressure on the NHS, leading to 80,000 fatalities each year in the UK after causing one in every four cancer deaths. It also increasess the risk of other diseases such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, asthma, and dementia. Smokers are also one-third more likely to take sick leave, costing the UK economy an estimated £18bn per year as a result.
Health charities have welcomed the bill. Action on Smoking and Health regarded the announcement as a step forward in the creation of a country where young people would never start smoking. “It is important to have the debate about how we will protect children and vulnerable people from the harms of second-hand smoke,” said the chair of the charity, Professor Nick Hopkinson. The British Heart Foundation’s Chief Executive, Dr Charmaine Griffiths, has described the government’s commitment as welcome as well.”We also welcome measures to make vaping less appealing to young people,” she said
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