UK‘s Smoke-Free Generation Bill Faces Big Tobacco Pushback
As the Tobacco and Vapes Bill moves closer to becoming law, major tobacco firms are ramping up their opposition, employing familiar lobbying tactics to resist stricter regulations. The bill, set to return to Parliament this week, aims to ban cigarette sales to anyone born after 2009, gradually phasing out tobacco products nationwide.
New research by the University of Bath and the Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG) has revealed that 43 documents were submitted during a government consultation, with 42% of responses linked to the tobacco industry. These submissions argue that the proposed law lacks sufficient evidence, would negatively impact small retailers, and could fuel a rise in black-market sales.
Despite the industry’s opposition, health experts insist that stricter measures are essential. Dr. Britta Matthes of TCRG emphasized that Big Tobacco is using outdated tactics to weaken public health policies, urging lawmakers to resist corporate influence.
Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive of ASH (Action on Smoking Health), echoed these concerns, stating:
“The tobacco industry has used the same recycled arguments against every anti-smoking regulation for the past 50 years. Their predictions of economic disaster have rarely come true—and won’t this time either.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson reaffirmed the UK government’s commitment to reducing smoking-related harm, noting that smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death, responsible for approximately 80,000 deaths annually.
To support the bill, the government has announced a £10 million investment in Trading Standards to crack down on illegal tobacco and vape sales. Officials assert that these efforts will help deliver a healthier, smoke-free future by breaking the cycle of nicotine addiction.
With the bill’s final stages approaching, the debate continues, but the government remains firm in its stance against Big Tobacco’s influence.
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