The UK government will ‘tackle the scourge of vaping’ once it has clamped down on smoking, a senior minister has said.
Vaping has been promoted by the NHS as an effective tool for helping smokers kick the deadly habit, which kills around eight million people per year worldwide.
But yesterday, Commons Leader Lucy Powell vowed that it will be next in line for far tighter restrictions.
She said: “We also want to tackle the scourge of vaping, which is a real blight for many young people.”
The revived Tobacco and Vapes Bill
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has already pledged to bring back predecessor Rishi Sunak’s controversial bill to ban anyone born after 2009 from ever smoking.
But the new Tobacco and Vapes Bill will now have add-ons including ending outdoor smoking in many locations including outside people’s homes. Leaked reports suggest vaping could be treated in the same way.
The proposed bill already includes regulations on vapes including banning disposable devices and restricting flavours directly aimed at children as well as limiting packaging, marketing, advertising and placement in shops.
Ministers are said to also be looking at banning vaping in all indoor public places.
Last week the British Medical Association has called on Labour to “go even further” than the proposed legislation by axing all flavours except tobacco.
‘Direct attack on harm reduction’
Yesterday Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, said Sir Keir’s plan to ban disposable vapes is a “direct attack on harm reduction and will hurt the very people Labour claims to protect”.
He added: "By making it harder for smokers to switch to safer alternatives, this policy is a gift to the illegal market.
"It's disgraceful that a Labour government would push a policy that hits the poor the most, effectively taking away a vital tool that helps them quit smoking."
Hitting the hospitality industry hard
Hospitality industry leaders have warned the proposed plans to ban outdoor smoking in some settings, including beer gardens and outside stadiums, could ring the death knell for many in the already struggling sector. Some estimates suggest one in eight pubs could close as a result.
They warn that banning vaping alongside this would have an even worse impact.
Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade body UK Hospitality, has said a ban on smoking and vaping in outdoor spaces “comes with the prospect of serious economic harm to hospitality venues”.
“This ban would not only affect pubs and nightclubs, but hotels, cafes and restaurants that have all invested significantly in good faith in outdoor spaces and continue to face financial challenges,” she said.
But Ms Powell has remained resolute, telling Sky News: “We're certainly not attacking the hospitality industry,” she said. “We support the hospitality industry. It's vital to our communities, our high street, our economy.”
