After intense protest and intense negative reactions on behalf of the hospitality sector also consisting of venue and bar/pub and club and restaurant owners, the outdoor smoking bans intended by the Labour government have been reversed and will not be imposed on outdoor areas outside those places of social gathering, according to The Sun which was the first to reveal the relevant government plans as well as being first in revealing their reversal.
However, the tobacco and vapes bill where those outdoor smoking bans would have been legislated is still going to pass through parliament and this has been planned for before Christmas, whereby those becoming adults after the enactment of the legislation will no longer be entitled to buy tobacco by even being older than 18, and only those who were already adults at the time of the enactment of the legislation will still be eligible to purchase tobacco and smoke.
Only days before the tobacco and vapes bill with its progressive tobacco purchase ban was mentioned in the King’s Speech after the Labour Party got elected to government, Action on Smoking and Health, the Royal College of Physicians and Cancer Research UK sent a letter to Kier Starmer who is the author of the King’s Speech and Wes Streeting who is the health minister, quoting that “Labour cannot achieve its manifesto commitment to halve differences in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions unless it prioritises ending smoking. There is no time to waste. Britain was the birthplace of the tobacco industry, which killed over 100 million people in the 20th century and is on track to kill one billion in the 21st, mainly in low and middle-income countries. The UK now has the chance to lead the world in phasing out smoking. The new Government must seize it with both hands.” After reading that it is no wonder whether or not the government will pursue the tobacco and vapes bill before Christmas having been urged by healthcare activists to do so by mentioning that “there is no time to waste” about a “chance” that “the government must seize with both hands”.
If you disagree with the effect of this legislation and you do not want to live in a society where those growing up around you are unable to buy tobacco and get punished for it despite maintaining their innocence for doing so by overcoming their 18th year, then please sign the government petition to set the age requirement to purchase tobacco to 21.
Bring Back Smoking Freedom 