Thank you for contacting me about the proposed Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
Whilst I understand the desire to reduce smoking rates, and tackle vaping among young people, I believe that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will limit individual choice and that there will be significant challenges in implementing the proposals.
In particular, the proposal to raise the age of sale for tobacco products risks criminalising some younger adults from smoking in future, whilst allowing adults born before 1 January 2009 to continue smoking. The Government could have considered other options – that are more easily enforceable - such as raising the age of sale from 18 to 21.
To date, no other country has adopted this approach to restricting the sale of tobacco products, and the legislation originally approved in New Zealand was repealed in 2023.
In a previous version of the Bill, the last Government did not include proposals for a licensing regime. At the time, the Department of Health and Social Care stated that introducing similar proposals to those in New Zealand would have huge implications for current smokers, limiting their ability to access their preferred products, and the ability of retailers to sell tobacco products.
I also oppose proposals to extend the indoor smoking ban to some outdoor spaces. Whilst I am glad that hospitality settings have been exempted from these proposals, there will be very significant challenges with enforcing a smoking ban in any outdoor settings. It is deeply regrettable that the Government voted against amendments proposed by Conservative MPs to restrict the places that could be designated as “smoke-free”.
Although the Government has announced funding to support Trading Standards, HMRC and Border Force, I am concerned that this will be insufficient to enforce the measures proposed. The Government also rejected amendments that would have required an annual report to be presented to Parliament about the illegal sale of tobacco and vaping products.
