Passed at first reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday, April 16, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill is one of the latest pieces of legislation introduced by Rishi Sunak's Conservative government, just a few months before the British general election. It is also the most radical, or at least the most surprising, and starkly contrasts the traditionally libertarian line defended by the Tories. It aims to introduce a total ban on the sale of cigarettes to UK residents born after January 1, 2009.
At present, tobacco sales are only permitted from the age of 18 in the UK. If the bill becomes law, all those born on or after January 1, 2009, will be permanently denied the right to buy cigarettes when they come of age, a world first. Only New Zealand considered such a total ban before a newly-elected conservative government backed down in February.
Additionally, it will also be illegal to sell tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars to anyone born after 2009. The bill also extends to nicotine-free products the current ban on the sale of vaporizers and refills to under-18s. Finally, it authorizes the relevant ministers to tighten regulations to limit refill fragrances and make product packaging less enticing.
The Sunak government insists it wants to "protect future generations" from the damage caused by tobacco. According to official figures released by Downing Street, tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the country, killing two-thirds of heavy smokers and causing 80,000 deaths a year. The pressure on the public hospital system is considerable: "almost every minute," a patient is hospitalized because of smoking, states the impact study accompanying the bill.
Up to 75,000 monthly doctor appointments are attributed to smoking. On Tuesday, Sir Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer to the British government, told the BBC: "If you're in favor of choice, you should be against something that takes away people's choices."
Criticism of the 'Nanny State'
"When I was a junior doctor doing surgery, I remember the tragedy of seeing people whose legs had to be cut off because of the smoking that had damaged their arteries" added the expert, who became a well-known and valued figure in British public opinion for hosting almost daily health updates during the Covid-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Sunak, despite his economically liberal convictions, is personally championing the bill. This marks a surprising departure from the Tories' almost epidermal aversion to what they call the "Nanny State," referring to excessive public intervention in the private sphere.
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