MPs back plans to tackle youth vaping
Amrit Virdi
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
MPs have backed major plans to tackle youth vaping and smoking including a ban on the marketing of vaping products aimed at children.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has been passed through to the next stage in Parliament following a vote in the House of Commons last night (16 April).
If successful, the Bill will restrict how vapes are marketed to children and lead to fines of up to £2,500 for people who sell non-nicotine vaping products to under 18s.
Packaging, contents and flavouring of vapes across the UK would be restricted by the new Bill, banning packaging deems to be designed to appeal to children.
The legislation would also make it an offence to sell tobacco products to anyone born after 1 January 2009, with on the spot fines issued to anyone caught breaking the rule.
MPs passed the Bill with 383 votes in favour and to 67 against it. Some 57 Conservative MPs voted against the Bill. Labour's front bench voted in support of the legislation.
Vaping increased among 16-to 24-year-olds in the UK by 4.4% between 2021 and 2022, according to government figures.
Sector figures have mostly welcomed the bill’s progress, with others questioning its effectiveness.
This is an important opportunity to fundamentally improve the health, wellbeing and health inequalities of communities across the UK, whilst protecting the young & future generations from smoking harms.
— Kevin Fenton (@ProfKevinFenton) April 16, 2024
Let's work together to create a #SmokefreeGeneration. #SmokingStillKills https://t.co/DJtncyqgwZ
Public Health minister, Andrea Leadsom, said: “Because the case against these harmful products is so strong, it’s not surprising that the majority of the British public - including those who smoke and those who sell tobacco - support plans to protect the next generation from the misery of smoking. Our plan will save lives, ease the strain on our NHS and ensure a brighter future for our children.”
Smoking and inequality go hand-in-hand, with the poorest and those with severe mental illness most impacted.#SmokefreeGeneration presents an important opportunity to reduce smoking rates and reduce health inequality.https://t.co/R3rdiitJta
— Julie Bass (@Julie_Bass10) April 16, 2024
Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said: “New research just published by ASH shows that the majority of tobacco retailers and the public, including smokers, support the legislation and the smokefree generation ambition it is designed to deliver. This historic legislation will consign smoking to the ‘ash heap of history’.”
I mean, it's not like people born after 2009 are still going to find ways to get their hands on cigarettes and vapes, right? It's not like there's a black market for that sort of thing.
— Joe (@JoeMaristela) April 17, 2024
And let's not forget that the bill doesn't actually make smoking illegal, just the sale of…
The ban is planned to take effect from April 2025.
