Phasing out smoking

There are not many issues in politics on which I have changed my mind. Nor am I a big fan of banning activities which many people enjoy. But where there is enough evidence I can be persuaded to change my mind. And the issue of smoking is an example.

Until very recently I would have said that smoking should be discouraged but not banned. I still think that attempting to completely ban the practice from tomorrow would not work and would end up like prohibition in the USA.

However, there is just too much evidence of the damage that cigarettes do, not just to the people who smoke, but also to those around them through passive smoking and to the NHS as probably the largest cause of easily preventable death, to ignore. It has been suggested that smoking eventually kills two thirds of those who smoke - causing 80,000 deaths per year in Britain.

There is now a proposal on the table in parliament to phase out this activity by making illegal for anyone born after 2009 to ever buy a tobacco. After a great deal of thought, if I were an MP I would have voted for this measure.

And this evening that bill, landmark legislation to create the first smoke-free generation passed its second reading, a bill which if it becomes law and is effectively enforced will protect future generations across the UK from the harmful effects of smoking to secure a brighter future for our children.

  • Too many people know someone whose life has been tragically cut short or irreversibly changed because of smoking. That is why the government has introduced the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will make it an offence to sell tobacco products to anyone aged 15 or younger today, introduce new powers to tackle the sharp rise in youth vaping by restricting vape flavours and their packaging, and introduce on-the-spot fines to retailers who break the rules. 
  • This is about doing what is right for the country and protecting our children – anyone who can currently buy tobacco will not be prevented from doing so. 
  • This will  create a smoke-free generation, saving the taxpayer significant amounts of money, and securing a brighter future for our children. 

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