British lawmakers will on Tuesday debate and vote on plans to propose some of the world’s toughest anti-smoking rules, including prohibiting younger people from smoking.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill’s objective is to make vapes less appealing and ensure anyone aged 15 as from this year, or younger, would be banned from ever buying cigarettes.
The bill would ban vape advertising and the sale of vapes in vending machines, and limit vape packaging and flavours that plainly appeal to children and young people, such as bubble gum and cotton candy.
The U.K’s Labour health secretary, Wes Streeting had said;
“The number of children vaping is growing at an alarming rate and without urgent intervention, we’re going to have a generation of children with long-term addiction.”
The previous Conservative government had announced similar measures to create the first smoke-free generation but, those plans failed to become law before the general election in the summer.
In 2007, Britain banned smoking in almost all enclosed public spaces, including bars and workplaces.
Subject to consultation, the new bill would allow the government powers to prolong the indoor smoking ban to specific outdoor spaces, such as children’s playgrounds and outside schools and hospitals.
The government had previously scrapped plans for a ban on smoking outside pubs and cafes after questions were raised about its impact on the hospitality industry.
The Tobacco and Vapes bill would introduce a licensing scheme for retailers to sell tobacco, vape and nicotine products, and fines of 200 pounds ($251.04) to retailers found to be selling these products to people underage will be enacted.
Expanding the use of standardised packaging to all tobacco products will also be explored.
If the bill passes on Tuesday, it would move on to the next parliamentary stage.
