The U.K. to Vote on World ’s Only Generational Smoking Ban

The U.K. House of Commons will vote Tuesday on the “Tobacco and Vapes Bill” that would make it illegal for anyone born in 2009 or beyond to buy tobacco and add restrictions to vaping. Its passage would amount to an effective lifetime ban on smoking for those under the age of 15. The bill was backed by Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has referred to tobacco as “the single biggest entirely preventable cause of ill-health, disability, and death.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] While the bill has support from lawmakers from both the opposition Labour and ruling Conservative party, some Tories have broken ranks with Sunak. Former Prime Ministers Liz Truss and Boris Johnson have both opposed the bill, with Johnson describing it as “nuts” and Truss calling it “profoundly unconservative.” “I think it actually risks making smoking cooler. It certainly risks creating a black market and it also risks creating an unmanageable challenge for the authorities,” Conservative lawmaker Simon Clarke told BBC radio. Conservative Members of Parliament will be able to freely vote on the bill but it is expected to pass, as it has the backing of Labour. Health officials say that because of tobacco’s addictive nature, preventing young people from picking up the habit could save millions of lives. “Smoking kills and causes harm at all stages of life from stillbirths, asthma in children...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized News News Desk Source Type: news