Fresh welcomes publication of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill
Fresh and cancer survivor Sue Mountain have welcomed the publication of the new Tobacco and Vapes Bill in parliament today, calling it a once in a generation opportunity to halt the death and disease caused by lethal tobacco.
Tobacco smoking is the biggest cause of ill health, disability and death in the country – causing 64,000 deaths in England and over 125,000 deaths in the North East since the year 2000. No other product kills up to 2 in 3 of its long-term users, most of whom (83%) start as teenagers. Tobacco is a uniquely harmful product, responsible for 1 in 4 of all cancer deaths and killing up to two-thirds of its long-term users.
Smoking also substantially increases the risk of many major health conditions throughout people’s lives, such as strokes, diabetes, heart disease, stillbirth, dementia and asthma. Almost every minute someone is admitted to hospital because of smoking and up to 75,000 GP appointments can be attributed to smoking each month – over 100 every hour.
This is why it is uniquely lethal and requires bold action.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will introduce the phased-out sale of tobacco for the next generation and give the government further powers to regulate vapes. A similar bill completed Committee Stage in the last parliament.
Raising the age of sale so no-one born on or after 2009 can legally be sold tobacco had strong cross-party support in the last parliament and has the backing of voters from across the political spectrum and a majority of every British constituency. Among Labour voters support is 74% with 11% opposed, Conservatives 70% support, 13% oppose, Liberal Democrats 75% support and 9% oppose. [1]
The new Bill goes further than the last with:
- Further powers to regulate the design of vapes
- Ban on vape advertising and sponsorship
- Powers to create a retail licensing regime for the sale of tobacco and vapes
- Powers to extend smokefree legislation to further outdoor areas
- Powers to prohibit vaping in smokefree places
How the powers in the bill will be used will be subject to a consultation and further regulations. Government have indicated that the English consultation on regulations will not include hospitality settings. Other parts of the UK may choose to consult on these.
In the North East, 73% of adults support the proposals to raise the age of sale by a year each year and the policy also enjoys cross party support. Over 50 organisations from the North East submitted responses in a previous consultation in 2023 – from fire and rescue, local authorities and NHS Trusts to the Association of Directors of Public Health North East and the North East and North Cumbria NHS Integrated Care Board.
Ailsa Rutter, OBE Director of Fresh and Balance, said: “Tobacco needs to be treated in this way because it is unique in how lethal it is. No other product than tobacco is guaranteed to kill early two of its three lifelong customers. Most smokers get addicted as children, so it completely deprives people of any choice. Most smokers regret ever starting and try to stop many times. It is not a free choice when you are addicted.
“This is not about depriving adult smokers who aren’t ready to stop smoking. It is about giving our next generation a life free of a cancer-causing addiction which costs tens of thousands of pounds over a lifetime.
“The Bill will also importantly cover the need to protect children from vaping and it is crucial that evidence-based measures are taken that reduce the appeal of vaping to children and young people through inappropriate packaging and promotion whilst ensuring that existing adult smokers can be helped to stop lethal tobacco smoking.
“The consultation that will follow on proposed new measures around extending smokefree public spaces will be a really valuable opportunity for many partners and the partners to have their say and to consider the steps along the way for the North East to achieve its bold ambition for a smokefree future.”
Amanda Healy, Durham County Council’s Director of Public Health and Chair of the Association of Directors of Public Health North East Network, said: “The response from local authorities, NHS trusts and many other organisations and individuals to create a smokefree generation has been overwhelming. Smoking now costs our region £2.35bn a year – a cost not just felt by families but to our economy, local authority social care budgets and to the NHS.
“The North East has seen the biggest fall in smoking in England in the last two decades, but for generations we also saw the worst outcomes from diseases like lung cancer and COPD and the impact in our communities with people left disabled or our loved ones dying too early from smoking.
“There are very few families who haven’t seen a loved one suffer because of smoking…that is why people don’t want that for their children or grandchildren.”
Mum of three Sue Mountain, 59, from South Shields, started smoking aged 11. She underwent laser treatment aged 48 after a biopsy revealed she had laryngeal cancer in 2012. The cancer then returned in 2015 and then again in 2017 but she is now cancer free. She has been campaigning for many years for action.
“When they first announced the plans around raising the age of sale for the next generation, I thought it was amazing. This just now needs to happen as soon as possible.
“The terrible fact is that every day more children will start to smoke. Unless they quit many will spend tens of thousands of pounds and suffer a disease like cancer or COPD as a direct result. Every day we lose feels like such a waste.
“Our MPs need to make this happen. This is all about a better life for our children and grandchildren – free of waking up needing a cigarette, free of the costs and free of the health risks. I also hope that the Government will consider a polluter pays levy on tobacco companies as it appalls me that the tobacco companies can addict our young ones to a lifetime of addiction to tobacco and make nearly £1 billion profit every year in the UK, whilst our NHS and local councils have to pick up the pieces from the damage caused.”