Calls for smoking ban to be quickly made law in the UK
More than 1,200 public health professionals have urged the government to ensure it swiftly passes new legislation banning the sale of cigarettes to young people and cracking down on vapes.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill introduces a number of restrictions on the sale and use of tobacco and nicotine products.
Labelled by health professionals as “one of the most ambitious public health measures in decades”, the Bill would make it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born after 1 January 2009, creating a smoke-free generation.
It will also crack down on the marketing of vapes to children, placing more barriers between young people and addictive nicotine products to help curb their use.
An open letter, which was signed by a coalition of more than 1,200 health professionals and convened by Action on Smoking and Health, warned that since the legislation was first introduced last year, 124,600 young people would have taken up smoking.
Further political drift will lead to more young people taking up smoking, and potentially more preventable deaths, the group said.
“Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the UK, claiming over 70,000 lives each year, and driving significant health inequalities,” the letter states.
“The Bill offers an historic opportunity to change this trajectory and protect future generations.”
“We are calling on all political parties to do what they can to ensure that this legislation is passed as swiftly as possible and create a lasting legacy of a smokefree future for our children.”
Action for Smoking and Health noted that smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the UK, responsible for over 70,000 deaths every year.
This call-to-action follows regulation changes recently announced by the government to crack down on the sale and marketing of vapes to young people.
Under the new rules, the UK government will require stores to hold a licence to sell vapes, tobacco, and nicotine products.
This move forms part of the government’s initiative to clean up UK high streets and protect children from the risks of vaping, while also creating the citcumstances to usher in a smoke-free generation.
