The revised version of the previously defunct tobacco and vapes bill by the Labour government will be introduced in parliament today Tuesday the 5th of November ironically coinciding with Guy Fawkes Day when discussing about eliminating smoking. This is an indication that the unfinished uprising of that time is still relevant in the same way today.
A licensing scheme is being proposed for retailers of tobacco products similar to the one that is applied for Scotland, as well as countries like Australia and New Zealand. Outdoor smoking bans will be extended outside hospitals and outside schools at a radius of 15 metres and will also apply to playgrounds but will not affect recreation areas of social gathering like pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants.
The health secretary Wes Streeting confirmed that outdoor smoking bans outside pubs, clubs and restaurants have been reversed and will not be imposed with this government’s version of the Tobacco and Vapes bill after being convinced by representatives of the hospitality sector who he met, but confirmed that there may be outdoor smoking bans at a radius of 15 metres around hospitals and schools, and possibly around playgrounds.
The health secretary said that he did not want to cause further harm to the hospitality sector after holding meetings with their representatives. “There are lots of things that we can and will do on public health that don’t impact on people’s liberties or people’s livelihoods” said Wes Streeting to Radio 4. He later said that the hospitality sector had suffered and endured a lot through the government’s other measures and restrictions and events such as the China virus and that there should be a line drawn or balance between civil liberties and public health measures when confirming that outdoor smoking bans affecting recreation areas were being postponed or cancelled.
Chief executive of Hospitality UK Kate Nicholls said that “Now is not the time for further cost to be added to businesses, and we’re pleased the government has listened to and acted on the sector’s concerns”.
Later, Wes Streeting praised the shadow health secretary in the House of Commons for introducing and supporting the tobacco and vapes bill that she drafted under the previous Conservative government and assuming that the leader of the opposition Conservatives Kami Badenoch would not be he characterised her views as dogmatic and inflexible, having declared that “we are raising the age at which people can smoke by one year every year”. If you disagree with this statement becoming law and the positive vote in parliament against it, you can sign the government petition to raise the age at which people can smoke to 21 instead.
The tobacco and vapes bill as presently revised mentions that “It is an offence to sell any of the following to a person born on or after 1 January 2009 — a tobacco product; a herbal smoking product; cigarette papers. It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under this section to prove that they were shown what appeared to be an identity document belonging to the purchaser… A person who commits an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.”. Do you know or agree that this as described is defined as an offence? Do you think that it would be against you if it happened or know anyone else against whom this could be?
While it is an offence to purchase and consume tobacco on behalf of those underaged below 18, according to the perception of society, doing so after adulthood cannot be an offence – it is not a real or organic offence, meaning that this quote from this item of legislation consists of a lie and therefore a false allegation against the general public.
If you don’t want the law to lie to you and then be punished against you and everyone else without any grounds for guilt involved, or tell lies in the first place, such as being an offence to purchase tobacco with a diachronic criterion beyond human control, you can sign the petition to set the age at which people can smoke to 21.
Bring Back Smoking Freedom 