The world-leading Tobacco and Vapes Bill is set to be introduced into parliament today, as the government looks to officially introduce the country’s first ‘smokefree’ generation.
The sale of tobacco products to people aged 15 or under this year will be outlawed, while the government also cracks down on the advertising and marketing of vapes.
New legislation
Subject to consultation, the indoor smoking ban will be extended to include certain outdoor spaces as well, such as:
- Playgrounds
- Schools
- Hospitals
In England, this will not include hospitality settings like pubs and bars, despite the speculation. The smoking bans sit alongside various moves to tackle vaping – particularly underage vaping.
With a quarter of 11-15-year-olds having tried vaping last year, the government wants to make some of the places that are currently smokefree, vape-free too. This is while separate legislation is set to ban disposable vapes from next June.
In addition to the aforementioned, the UK Government will also introduce a licensing scheme for retailers to legally sell tobacco, vape and nicotine products across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
On-the-spot fines reaching £200 will be issued to businesses found to be selling said products to those underage.
We’re introducing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to protect the public, NHS and economy from the harms of smoking.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) November 5, 2024
Our plans include banning smoking outside schools, children’s playgrounds and hospitals.
@CMO_England Professor Chris Whitty explains 👇
https://t.co/5bBJaIog7U pic.twitter.com/ksN1UZhlsc
This type of legislation was first introduced to public consciousness by Rishi Sunak at the Conservative Party conference last year.
Impact
Fundamentally, the move will come as part of the government’s desire to move from sickness to prevention. Smoking alone claims 80,000 lives every year in the UK, with a £3.1bn annual cost to the taxpayer.
As much as £18bn is lost to the entire economy through productivity losses, though, with smokers a third more likely to be off work sick.
It is also thought that one in four of all cancer deaths can be put down to smoking, with two-thirds of long-term smokers dying as a direct result. The risk of suffering from a variety of major health conditions substantially increases due to smoking as well. This includes:
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Stillbirth
- Dementia
- Asthma
Furthermore, the ban could help with circa 75,000 GP appointments that can be attributed to smoking each month – the equivalent of 100 an hour.
Reaction
“Unless we act to help people stay healthy, the rising tide of ill-health in our society threatens to overwhelm and bankrupt our NHS,” said the health secretary, Wes Streeting.
“Prevention is better than cure.”
He added: “This historic legislation will save thousands of lives and protect the NHS. By building a healthy society, we will also help to build a healthy economy, with fewer people off work sick.”
England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, believes the legislation – if passed – will have a positive and lasting effect on the nation.
NHS England’s national specialty advisor on tobacco dependency, Professor Sanjay Agrawal, commented: “Smoking may seem like a problem for past generations, but it is still the leading cause of preventable illness and deaths and has an enormous impact on the NHS, costing billions each year through appointments, scans and operations.”
Image credit: iStock
