The UK is officially banning smoking in a revolutionary new bill and it will be put into law sooner than you might think.
A first of its kind measure across the UK and Europe, King Charles III confirmed that smoking will officially be outlawed across the country under the new Labour government.
Announcing the measure in Wednesday's (17 July) King's Speech, Charles confirmed Keir Starmer's government would be officially adopting plans to create the first of its kind smoke-free generation.
Originally a policy brought in by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative government, it gained widespread support in the House of Commons before being put on hold due to this year's snap general election.
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What is the plan to ban smoking?
Under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, politicians are looking to create the UK's first ever smoke-free generation. And from there, the hope is to prevent Brits for generations to come from consuming tobacco products for good.
It's a costly measure to the UK taxpayers' purse, with roughly 80 percent of the price of a pack of cigs being made up from tax. But politicians believe it is the right move for the sake of the nation's long-term health.
Under the measure, every child born after 1 January 2009 will never be legally allowed to buy cigarettes. It mirrors a similar policy that has been brought in by the New Zealand government.
In effect, it means everyone currently aged 14 and under will never be allowed to buy tobacco products without breaking the law.
Are vapes included?
Not quite. Vaping will not be banned, and a particular ban on disposable vapes has been put on hold by Starmer.
But a crackdown on kids becoming addicted to them has been launched.
As a result, politicians are set to ban popular flavours - such as bubblegum and candy floss - as well as making the packaging bland, as with cigarettes.
King Charles' speech on Wednesday outlined how the 'Bill will provide ministers with powers to regulate the flavours, packaging and display of vapes and other nicotine products'.
Can shops get prosecuted for selling tobacco?
Yes they can. New powers will be passed with the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to bring about significant consequences if businesses are caught selling tobacco products or vapes to those who cannot legally buy them.
Trading standards bodies across the UK will be given extra powers to prosecute on these matters. It was previously stated that people wont be criminalised for buying them even if they legally cannot.
Vapes wont be allowed to be advertised in shop windows as they have previously.
When will smoking be banned?
According to reports from Bloomberg, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will be rushed through by Starmer.
The PM's chief of staff, Sue Gray, has highlighted it as one of 20 bills to rush through Parliament in the first 100 days of the new government.
The time for a bill to become law in the UK can be anything from a few weeks to 12 months. But given the universal support for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, and the progress it had made before the general election, it would not be a shock if it was fast-tracked and turned into law by the end of 2024 at the latest.
Topics: Health, Vaping, UK News, Politics, Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak, King Charles III
Tom Earnshaw