Public health charities that form part of the Smokefree Action Coalition and the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Smoking and Health have welcomed the return of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to Parliament.
The Bill received its first reading in the House of Commons on 5th November. The Bill had cross-party support when it progressed through Parliament earlier this year under the previous Conservative government. The law was lost, however, when Rishi Sunak, the previous Prime Minister called the General Election in July.
The Bill, if passed, will phase out the sale of tobacco products for those aged 15 or younger this year, bring in restrictions on vaping and introduce on the spot fines of £200 to retailers found to be selling tobacco, vape and nicotine products to people underage.
The Bill introduced by the Labour government also includes some stronger measures than was in the original legislation proposed by the previous government. The government will, for example, be given powers to extend the indoor smoking ban to specific outdoor spaces – with children’s playgrounds and outside schools and hospitals all being considered.
Additionally, as well as powers to restrict the flavours, display and packaging of all types of vapes, and other nicotine products that were previously proposed the Bill now includes:
- A ban on vape advertising and sponsorship;
- Further powers to regulate the design of vapes;
- Powers to create a retail licensing regime for the sale of tobacco and vapes;
- Powers to extend smokefree legislation to further outdoor areas;
- Powers to prohibit vaping in smokefree places
The extra powers proposed are all now subject to consultation and regulations would be introduced to enforce these rules.
The introduction of the Bill comes shortly after the government announced that it would ban disposable vapes from June 2025 in order to protect the environment and discourage young people from starting to vape.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “This government is taking bold action to create the first smoke-free generation, clamp down on kids getting hooked on nicotine through vapes, and protect children and vulnerable people from the harms of second-hand smoke.”
Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty, said: “The rising numbers of children vaping is a major concern and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will help prevent marketing vapes to children, which is utterly unacceptable.
“This is a major piece of legislation which if passed will have a positive and lasting impact on the health of the nation.”
Public health experts, while welcoming the Bill and efforts to stop young people from starting to vape, urged a balanced approach to ensure that those giving up smoking could still have access to vaping products to help them quit.
Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation and Co-Chair of the Mental Health and Smoking Partnership, said: ““We welcome further regulations on vaping to protect young people from addiction. However, these regulations must be balanced. For many currently smoking and living with poor mental health quitting can be a challenge and aids like vaping can be transformative. Vapes must remain accessible to those they can benefit.”
Before the legislation is passed and takes effect, UK schools are finding they need to tackle the growing numbers of their students who are vaping right now. Staff training, student education and developing the right policies will help, but many schools have found vape detectors are the key to success in tackling vaping among students. We supply the HALO Smart Sensor which can help schools to combat vaping. If you want to know more, please contact us.