Tobacco and Vapes Bill Shelved
The calling of the general election has seen the newly voted through Tobacco and Vapes Bill temporarily abandoned.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed his disappointment that his bill banning the next generation of young people from ever being able to smoke will not be passed before the UK general election.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill was not included in the legislation that was rushed through to be passed by parliament before it closed.
As well as making it illegal for anyone born after January 2009 to buy tobacco in their lifetime, the bill would also have seen regulatory measures for vape flavours, packaging and point of sale put in place.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, stated: “This is a disheartening day for people affected by cancer, health professionals and campaigners who have worked tirelessly on the legislation. Preventing cancer and saving lives should transcend party politics.”
Does the bill need further discussion?
Despite the legislation’s hopes to achieve a smokefree generation by 2030, many points were stated to be in need of further discussion, especially points surrounding the banning of vape flavours.
Many feel as though the pause will allow these discussions to take place, and are glad the Tobacco and Vapes Bill isn’t being rushed through parliament without being given better thought to its potential consequences.
Andrej Kuttruf, CEO of Evapo, said: “While the delay in legislation provides a temporary reprieve, it underscores the need for a balanced approach to public health policy.
“Our customer survey shows that 88% of vapers are former smokers, and 93% have either quit or reduced smoking thanks to vaping. Flavour bans and excessive taxation could reverse this progress, pushing vapers back to smoking and fuelling the illicit market.”
What happened to the Bill?
Recently, the bill successfully passed the second reading in the House of Commons with a majority of MPs voting in favour.
It also went through the committee stage, where key witnesses provided evidence.
However, with the announcement of the General Election, Parliament had only two days to finalise any pending bills. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill had not advanced sufficiently in the parliamentary procedure, preventing it from receiving Royal Assent.
Announcing the election in Downing Street, the prime minister promised to “ensure that the next generation grows up smoke-free.”
However, speaking in Belfast during his campaign tour of the UK, he remarked, “There’s always a normal process at the end of a Parliament to see which legislation you can pass in the time that’s available.”
Regarding the smoking ban, he expressed he was, “of course disappointed not to be able to get that through at the end of the session given the time available.”
The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) commented: “Since the Bill was announced, the UKVIA has maintained that the measures it contains could have such potentially grave impacts on the health of both smokers and vapers that it requires extremely careful consideration.
“The UKVIA was horrified when it was revealed that the Department of Health and Social Care had failed to carry out any risk assessments into the health impacts of fewer people using vapes to quit smoking as a result of potential changes to flavour offerings, point of sale displays or packaging and product presentation.
“The General Election gives everyone time to pause, take stock, and – should this Bill be reintroduced once a new government is formed after July 4 – we will continue to engage with whoever is in power.”
What are the Bill’s next steps?
The Bill’s absence from the legislation rushed through parliament does not indicate a lack of political will to pass it.
During the parliamentary session, the Bill garnered cross-party support through the votes and committee stages, demonstrating broad public endorsement for action. Both Conservative and Labour representatives have stated they will implement the proposed age-of-sale restrictions after the election.
Michelle Mitchell said: “It’s vital that all parties commit in their manifestos to bring this Bill back in the first King’s Speech after the General Election. Let’s prioritise this world-leading legislation and help cancers caused by smoking become a thing of the past.”
UKVIA General Director John Dunne expressed: “It is wrong to rush any legislation through parliament without proper scrutiny but with a Bill like this, where lives are quite literally at stake, it is even more important that the correct checks and balances are in place when considering what new powers to introduce.
“We believe that properly drafted new measures to ban child-friendly designs and flavour names and ensure that products, backed up by a powerful and effective enforcement regime will continue to see smoking rates fall while ensuring that youth uptake rapidly comes down.”
Summary – Tobacco and Vapes Bill Shelved
It could be a blessing in disguise for everyone that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill has been put on hold. More time is needed to thoroughly discuss its potential flaws and benefits.
What is certain is that it must be revisited. A goal for a smokefree generation is one that mustn’t be abandoned. But it can’t be rushed, and it has to be planned thoroughly and correctly, with time.
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