MPs have voted in favour of a new bill that will make it illegal to sell cigarettes to anyone who is currently aged 15 or younger in the UK. The proposal, which was originally put forward by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government, was taken up by the opposition Labour Party when earlier legislation expired ahead of July’s general election. The first obstacle to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill was comfortably cleared by 415 votes to 47. Some lawmakers from the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats, however, expressed concerns about the legislation’s impact on civil liberties.
While the bill still has to pass through the scrutiny of both MPs and peers, it is expected to be approved into law. So far, 35 Tories, including party leader Kemi Badenoch and former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, were among the lawmakers to vote against the bill, while 23 supported it. The legislation has also attracted criticism from seven Liberal Democrats and four Reform UK MPs.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said that a gradual increase in the age at which people can buy tobacco would create “the first smoke-free generation and eventually a smoke-free nation”. He claimed that the proposal, which aims to reduce youth vaping and includes measures to support people to quit smoking, represents the most significant public health intervention in a generation. The legislation is intended to shift the focus of healthcare from treatment to prevention, easing pressures on the NHS.
Edward Argar, shadow health secretary for the Conservative Party, expressed concern about an increase in power for ministers to make various vulnerable outdoor spaces a no-smoking zone, whilst supporting the legislation’s objectives. In England, the government recently abandoned proposals to introduce a smoking ban in pub and restaurant gardens, although ministers are still consulting on possible bans outside schools, hospitals, and children’s playgrounds.
Liberal Democrats voted in favour of measures to combat youth vaping, but the party’s health spokeswoman, Helen Morgan, described the bill’s planned phased smoking ban as “problematic”, criticising its wider impact on practicality and civil liberties. She also worried about the prospect of making smokers carry identification cards for the remainder of their lives. Contributing to the debate, Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell argued that the banning of any item typically did not work, rejecting the proposal’s restriction on personal freedom. Streeting countered that tobacco represents a uniquely dangerous and addictive product: “There is no freedom in addiction.” In addition to strict rules against vape marketing and sponsorship, the legislation affords powers to restrict the flavours and packaging of vapes, aiming to reduce their appeal to minors. Streeting emphasised that the bill would come down on the vaping industry hard to shield a new generation of young people from nicotine addiction
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