London, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is again facing very vocal opposition to his plan to effectively ban smoking for anyone aged 15 and under, as the House of Commons on Tuesday A bill has come up for vote.
The British Indian leader proposed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill last year, announcing his vision of creating a "smoke-free generation" by making it a crime to sell tobacco products to anyone born after January 1, 2009, under the age of 15. Children of 10 years of age were also included.
Once it completes its parliamentary journey, the new law will introduce some of the strictest anti-smoking laws in the world into the country.
“I propose that in future we raise the smoking age by one year every year. This means that a 14 year old today will never be legally sold cigarettes and they and their generation can be smoke-free.We know it works,” Sunak announced at the Conservative Party conference in October last year.
Since the bill has the support of the opposition in Parliament and ruling Conservative MPs have the right to cast an independent vote on the bill, any Tory vote against the bill would not be seen as a full rebellion against the Prime Minister.
But Sunak's two predecessors, Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, are leading a very vocal group of Tories who plan to vote against the bill as "non-Conservative" and taking away choice from the public.
“The truth is that there is no safe level of tobacco consumption. It is uniquely harmful, and that is why we are taking this vital action today to protect the next generation,” said Britain's Health Secretary Victoria Atkins."This bill will save thousands of lives, reduce pressure on our NHS (National Health Service) and improve the UK's productivity," he said.
Under the new law, smoking will be decriminalized and anyone who legally purchases tobacco will not be prevented from doing so.
The ban aims to stop people from starting to smoke as the government has pointed to its highly addictive nature, with four out of five smokers taking up the habit before the age of 20 and remaining addicted throughout their lives. Remain addicted.
The government says that if passed, the bill will advance to the next stage, bringing the UK closer to creating the first smoke-free generation.
Under the plans, trading standards officers will be given new powers to issue £100 on-the-spot fines to shops selling tobacco or vapes to children, with all money raised to be spent on further enforcement.Deborah Arnott, head of the charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said, "This landmark legislation will send smoking to the 'ash heap of history'."
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill would also give the government new powers to tackle youth vaping, including restricting flavors and regulating the way vapes are sold and packaged to make them less attractive to children.
The UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) stated that vaping can play a useful role in helping adult smokers to quit, but that non-smokers and children should never vape.
It warns that the long-term health effects of vaping are unknown, and the nicotine they contain can be highly addictive.
According to official figures, smoking is the UK's biggest preventable killer, responsible for around 80,000 deaths each year and costs the NHS economy £17 billion a year – more than the £10 billion annual revenue from tobacco taxation. Is.
The British Indian leader proposed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill last year, announcing his vision of creating a "smoke-free generation" by making it a crime to sell tobacco products to anyone born after January 1, 2009, under the age of 15. Children of 10 years of age were also included.
Once it completes its parliamentary journey, the new law will introduce some of the strictest anti-smoking laws in the world into the country.
“I propose that in future we raise the smoking age by one year every year. This means that a 14 year old today will never be legally sold cigarettes and they and their generation can be smoke-free.We know it works,” Sunak announced at the Conservative Party conference in October last year.
Since the bill has the support of the opposition in Parliament and ruling Conservative MPs have the right to cast an independent vote on the bill, any Tory vote against the bill would not be seen as a full rebellion against the Prime Minister.
But Sunak's two predecessors, Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, are leading a very vocal group of Tories who plan to vote against the bill as "non-Conservative" and taking away choice from the public.
“The truth is that there is no safe level of tobacco consumption. It is uniquely harmful, and that is why we are taking this vital action today to protect the next generation,” said Britain's Health Secretary Victoria Atkins."This bill will save thousands of lives, reduce pressure on our NHS (National Health Service) and improve the UK's productivity," he said.
Under the new law, smoking will be decriminalized and anyone who legally purchases tobacco will not be prevented from doing so.
The ban aims to stop people from starting to smoke as the government has pointed to its highly addictive nature, with four out of five smokers taking up the habit before the age of 20 and remaining addicted throughout their lives. Remain addicted.
The government says that if passed, the bill will advance to the next stage, bringing the UK closer to creating the first smoke-free generation.
Under the plans, trading standards officers will be given new powers to issue £100 on-the-spot fines to shops selling tobacco or vapes to children, with all money raised to be spent on further enforcement.Deborah Arnott, head of the charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said, "This landmark legislation will send smoking to the 'ash heap of history'."
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill would also give the government new powers to tackle youth vaping, including restricting flavors and regulating the way vapes are sold and packaged to make them less attractive to children.
The UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) stated that vaping can play a useful role in helping adult smokers to quit, but that non-smokers and children should never vape.
It warns that the long-term health effects of vaping are unknown, and the nicotine they contain can be highly addictive.
According to official figures, smoking is the UK's biggest preventable killer, responsible for around 80,000 deaths each year and costs the NHS economy £17 billion a year – more than the £10 billion annual revenue from tobacco taxation. Is.
