Government confirms what will happen if you buy a cigarette after smoking ban comes in
The Government has confirmed what will happen to Brits if they buy cigarettes after the Government's flagship smoking ban goes live.
Speaking to Andrew Gwynne, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention, the Member of Parliament told LADbible exactly what will happen to those who will no longer be able to buy tobacco once the legislation is enshrined in to UK law.
Earlier this month, Sir Keir Starmer's Labour government officially picked up former PM Rishi Sunak's plan to create the country's first ever smoke-free generation.
Introducing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to Parliament, it will make it illegal to buy any form of tobacco product if you were born after January 2009.
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It means that those currently aged around 15 and younger will never be able to purchase a cigarette, tobacco pouches, cigars and even the likes of shisha.
The Government has said it hopes to break the cycle of addiction associated with tobacco and nicotine to greater improve public health and relieve pressure on the NHS, with the health service spending roughly £2.2 billion every year on treating smoking related illness.
Speaking to Mr Gwynne this morning (22 November), he told LADbible exactly what will happen to Brits aged 15 and under if they were to ever buy a cigarette or other tobacco product from a shop.
"Well, firstly, let's be really clear here that smoking is dangerous. It is still the biggest cause of death in this country and smoking-related illnesses are still far too obvious in too many communities," he said.
"80,000 people here die from smoking-related illnesses and we need to make sure - and that's what this bill is doing - that future generations are healthier, live longer, but more importantly, live healthier for longer.
"And one of the biggest preventable illnesses, all of the biggest preventable illnesses, actually, are linked directly or indirectly to smoking."
When asked directly on the punishment that young smokers would face, Mr Gwynne confirmed that you will not be prosecuted for buying tobacco products if you are impacted by the ban - instead, attention with be elsewhere in the supply chain.
He said: "So this is about ensuring that we get a genuine smoke-free generation breaking once and for all this country's habit on an addiction to tobacco and nicotine.
"Look, this isn't about punishing young people. The enforcement regime that the bill brings in will tackle rogue retailers, not young people.
"So somebody illegally buys a cigarette. It will be the retailer that is punished, not the young person. I think that's a really important distinction to make. We're not criminalising smoking, but we are enforcing the restrictions on retailers to be responsible and mostly retailers are.
"Because at the moment, there's lots of age of sale requirements on a whole ranger products, including on cigarettes and on alcohol and so on. Most retailers are really responsible. They ask for the required ID, they challenge if they've not got the required ID."
Mr Gwynne continued: "They don't sell and those that do - we've got trading standards, we've got environmental health officers that have got the powers to take appropriate action, and that will be the same with this bill."
Alongside cigarettes, the Government is banning disposable vapes from 1 June, 2025 under separate environmental legislation.
There is also a first of its kind vaping tax on the way, announced in Rachel Reeves' first Budget.
As for when the Tobacco and Vapes Bill becomes law, Mr Gwynne said we're down to the official process of Parliament as the bill goes through the House of Commons and House of Lords.
"We've got a second reading next week and then it goes to committee and report stage, and third reading, then it goes to the Lords and if there are amendments we play ping pong as Parliament does until there's a settled view," he explained.
"Once it gets Royal Assent [the moment it is rubber-stamped in to law] then we are committed to consulting on a whole range of things like outdoor places where smoking will be restricted. Our consultation will be based around children's playgrounds, schools, and hospitals. But the law makes it really clear; no child born after 1 January, 2009, will ever be able to legally buy tobacco."
Going by the average time frame set out for bills to become law, the ban could well be in place by summer 2025.
Topics: Health, UK News, Originals, Politics, Vaping, NHS, Crime
Tom Earnshaw