A draft law in the UK to create a "smoke-free generation" by banning smoking for anybody born after 2008 has cleared both houses of parliament. Only the king's signature remains for it to become law.
  • Technically, the new law will raise the legal age requirement in the UK for buying cigarettes, cigars or tobacco, which is currently 18, by one year in every subsequent year, starting on January 1, 2027
  • This will effectively mean that people born on or after January 1, 2009 will never be eligible to buy them
  • Retailers will face financial penalties for selling the products to those not entitled to them
  • The government will also be empowered to impose a new registration system for smoking and vaping products entering the country, seeking to improve oversight
  • The bill will expand the UK’s indoor smoking ban to a series of outdoor public spaces, for instance in children’s playgrounds, outside schools and hospitals
  • Most indoor spaces that are designated smoke-free will become vape-free as well
  • Smoking in designated areas outside pubs and bars and other hospitality settings will remain permissible
  • Smoking and vaping will remain legal in people’s homes
  • Vaping will become illegal in cars if someone under the age of 18 is inside, to match existing rules on smoking
  • Advertising for smoking and vaping products will be banned
  • People aged 18 or older will remain eligible to purchase vaping products, but some items targeted at younger consumers like disposable vapes have already been outlawed as part of the program
    • NotSteve_@lemmy.caEnglish
      18·
      5 hours ago

      Hard unnuanced bans on vices never work and it’s insane that people think that this time it will.

      You say that it’ll cut down on healthcare costs but how much will now be spent on enforcement? Tobacco use was already out of style and smoking seen as obnoxious and uncool but now it’ll be seen as a mysterious and forbidden thing. Look at cannabis use among youth in Canada after legalisation if you want an example. People will continue to smoke tobacco but now that tobacco will all be unregulated black market stuff bought from some sketchy guy who can offer you any number of other unregulated, untested and more dangerous drugs

    • Tryenjer@lemmy.worldEnglish
      10·
      5 hours ago

      This won’t solve anything, it will only create a black market and the vape industry will gain new customers.

      The UK is on a wave of embracing ideas that have already proven to be failures at other places and other times, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they instituted Prohibition.

    • pelespirit@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      6·
      6 hours ago

      That’s probably what this is about. The UK has universal healthcare, which means poor health costs them more money. I wish Americans would understand this.