A man with a smoking cigarette in his hand.
A smoking ban that would stop young people from ever legally buying cigarettes has passed its first legal hurdle in Britain
Lawmakers in the country’s lower house voted 415 to 47 voted in favor of the bill this week.
If passed, it will be one of the strictest anti-smoking laws in the world.
Government ministers and health campaigners have largely praised the plans, while some lawmakers have criticized their impact on civil liberties.
How would the smoking ban work?
The Tobacco and Vaping Act would ban the sale of tobacco products, herbal smoking products and cigarette rolling papers to anyone born after 2009. That means that if it passes, most of today’s 15-year-olds would never be allowed to purchase these goods again.
It is currently illegal to sell tobacco products to people under the age of 18 in Britain
The bill would introduce a number of further restrictions to try to reduce vaping rates, including banning vape advertisements and the sale of vapes in vending machines. It would prevent the sale of certain vape flavors and limit how stores can display them.
It would also completely ban the sale of oral tobacco products such as snus.
The proposals must undergo further scrutiny in the lower and upper houses of Parliament before becoming law.
Why do lawmakers want a smoking ban?
The proposals are part of a government plan to create a ‘smoke-free generation’.
The bill was first proposed by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government and has been reintroduced by the current ruling Labor Party.
Around 11.9% of adults in Britain currently smoke, with figures rising among young people after years of decline.
Smoking is strongly linked to many serious health problems, including lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. It is estimated to cost England public health system almost $3.3 billion (£2.6 billion) per year alone.
Although vaping is considered much safer than smoking, its popularity among children and young people is raising serious concerns for lawmakers, campaigners and public health officials.
“The number of children vaping is growing at an alarming rate and without urgent intervention we will have a generation of children with long-term addiction,” said UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting in aa. statement.
“It is unacceptable that these harmful products are deliberately targeted at children with brightly colored packaging and flavors such as ‘gummy bear’ and ‘rainbow burst’.”
Stephen Powis, chief medical officer at England’s public health system, the NHS, added: “Smoking also remains the leading cause of preventable deaths and has a huge impact on the NHS, costing billions every year. We look forward to working with the government and partners to ensure the next generation grows up smoke and vape free.”
However, some lawmakers have attacked the bill, with shadow health secretary Edward Argar criticizing a section that would give ministers the power to introduce smoking bans in specific outdoor places.
Health spokeswoman for the rival Liberal Democrat party Helen Morgan said her party supported the plan to reduce vaping among young people, but raised concerns about “civil liberties” and the “practical feasibility” of implementing the phased smoking ban.