Read articles from United Kingdom

November 13, 2023 by spiked-online.com

In August, after nearly a decade of abstinence, I took up smoking again. In the months since, I’ve been sparking up with the enthusiasm of a zealous new convert. But it seems the UK government is now determined to piss on my Rizlas, to burn my rediscovered pleasure to ash, and to wrench the roll-up from my tar-stained fingers.

November 09, 2023 by filtermag.org

The government of the United Kingdom is pressing ahead with its plan to create a generation without legal access to tobacco and cigarettes. Its proposed Tobacco and Vapes Bill was formally introduced in the King’s Speech to Parliament on November 7. The tobacco plan, unveiled in October, is controversial in itself; people currently under 15 would never be able to buy cigarettes legally, ultimately leading to full prohibition. But the government’s bill also allows the possibility of new vape taxes and restrictions, as it promises to crack down on youth vaping.

November 08, 2023 by theguardian.com

Ministers are considering a new tax on vapes in a significant expansion of moves to create a “smoke-free generation” that also includes the gradual introduction of a total ban on smoking for children. Documents published alongside Rishi Sunak’s first king’s speech revealed that an eight-week consultation on smoking and vaping would “explore a new duty” on vapes as about 40 other countries have already introduced.

November 07, 2023 by tobaccoreporter.com

Smokers’ rights group Forest condemned the U.K. government’s official announcement of legislation that will deny future generations of adults the right to purchase tobacco. During the opening of the new session of Britain’s parliament today, King Charles presented the government’s plans for new legislation, which includes a generational tobacco bill, as reported by the BBC and other news outlets. The proposed legislation would make it illegal for anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2009, to ever legally buy cigarettes, effectively raising the legal age of purchase by one year, every year.

November 02, 2023 by thecritic.co.uk

While the government conducts an eight week public consultation on Rishi Sunak’s  wacky plan to gradually prohibit the sale of tobacco, the Labour MP Kevan Jones has asked a pertinent question in the House of Commons: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Government policies on ending cigarette sales to those born on or after 1 January 2009 on the sale of tobacco products in the black market. The minister for public health, Neil O’Brien, admitted that: “No assessment has been made.” [...]

October 31, 2023 by ecigarettedirect.co.uk

Vaping is under scrutiny again, and that’s partly the result of its own success. Since vaping has become popular in the UK, smoking rates have fallen to the lowest in decades, with regular smoking amongst children now below 1%. At the same time, vaping, while better than smoking, is not problem free. Many of these problems derive from irresponsible sellers breaking the rules - selling illegal vapes and/or selling them to people under the age of 18. These problems are compounded by the fact that when sellers do break the rules, they usually get away with it. Now a new UK government consultation aims to gather evidence on vaping - a consultation likely to be followed by new rules.

October 31, 2023 by clivebates.com

The government is consulting on proposals for a smokefree generation and restrictions designed to tackle youth vaping, including bans on flavours and disposable vapes – I am sharing my draft consultation responses for information and input

October 25, 2023 by theguardian.com

More than a third of young adults are using e-cigarettes and almost three-quarters of parents suspect their child is vaping, a new study has found. Young people can easily access vapes and availability is leading to a perception that products are not harmful, according to public health experts. On Wednesday the Cancer Council published the latest data from its ongoing national Generation Vape study, which tracks teenagers’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviours regarding vapes. The most recent survey included 1,700 teenagers aged between 14 and 17 and 6,500 young adults aged between 18 and 24.

October 25, 2023 by spiked-online.com

The UK government has declared war on nicotine. First, prime minister Rishi Sunak promised to ban cigarettes for everyone born after 2008. And now, health secretary Steve Barclay is looking to clamp down on e-cigarettes, supposedly to tackle the rise in youth vaping. Price rises, flavour bans and plain packaging are among the measures under consideration in a consultation launched earlier this month. The government thinks that these new restrictions will help save lives – but clamping down on vapes would actually be harmful to our health.

October 19, 2023 by radio-canada.ca

Officials elsewhere want to create the first 'smoke-free generation' As some countries move toward banning the next generation from smoking, experts here say Canada should weigh whether a similar ban could work to stop youth from picking up the habit. [...] Experts who study teen smoking and vaping habits say although these smoking bans don't necessarily target vaping, a public discussion about a generational smoking ban and what that could look like in Canada is warranted. There are lots of contextual factors that come to play that we really need to consider when we are thinking about implementing something like this in Canada, said Laura Struik, [...]