Add your name to help end cancers caused by smoking
Smoking is still the biggest cause of cancer in the UK.
On 5 November, the UK Government introduced legislation to help prevent the next generation from ever starting smoking to Parliament through a new Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
If implemented, this legislation would progressively raise the age of sale of tobacco - helping to ensure that the biggest cause of cancer has no place in our future.
Nothing would have a bigger impact on reducing the number of preventable deaths in the UK than ending smoking. That's why we called on the new UK Government to commit to bringing back this important legislation, after it was dropped because of the snap general election – and they listened.
Now that this legislation has been brought to Parliament, we want to make sure it is passed and implemented in all four nations to help create a smokefree UK. But we need your help.
Imagine the number of cancer cases and deaths we could prevent, and lives we could change, for generations to come. Add your name, and stand with us against cancers caused by smoking.
How would this policy work?
The proposed legislation would ensure that people born on or after 1 January 2009 (turning 15 this year) would not legally be sold tobacco in their lifetime. This would be achieved by progressively raising the age of sale of tobacco by one year every year. It won’t prevent anyone born before that date from being sold tobacco in future.
Preventing young people from starting smoking is key to a smokefree UK. That's why 'stopping the start' by raising the age of sale of tobacco has been an important call of our Smokefree UK campaign. There is no safe way to use tobacco, so it is important that the legislation applies to all types of tobacco products.
Didn't MPs already vote in favour of this legislation?
On 16 April, 2024 at a session called Second Reading, MPs voted in favour of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which included legislation to raise the age of sale of tobacco, an important step on the road to a smokefree UK. However, when the general election was called, Parliament had only one week before it was dissolved to pass any outstanding legislation, in a process called ‘wash-up’. Unfortunately, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill had not progressed far enough through the legislative process to be included, and so was not passed.
During the General Election, we advocated for the next UK Government, regardless of the political party, to re-introduce the legislation to help end cancers caused by smoking. Then, on 17 July, in their first King’s Speech, the new UK Government announced that they would do just that. In order to become law, this legislation will now need to re-start its journey through Parliament.
Does this legislation apply to all four nations?
As health is a devolved matter, in order for each of the devolved nations to introduce the Bill, they will each need to vote on it through a Legislative Consent Motion (LCM). An LCM is the means by which the legislature indicates that it is content for the UK Parliament to pass a law on a devolved matter.
We want to see this legislation implemented across the UK, so that is why we will be calling on all MSPs in Scotland, MSs in Wales, and MLAs in Northern Ireland to support this legislation.
What other measures does the Tobacco and Vapes Bill propose?
After the previous UK Government’s Bill had to be dropped due to the snap general election, the new UK Government have reintroduced legislation to raise the age of sale in a new Tobacco and Vapes Bill. All the core elements of the previous Bill are included, namely key legislation to progressively raise the age of sale of tobacco products. There are also some new proposed additions to the Bill. Among these are powers for the Secretary of State to introduce a licensing scheme for retailers that sell tobacco, vapes and nicotine products and more measures to curb youth vaping by changing the appeal and appearance of vapes. It also proposes making more outdoor spaces, such as outside hospitals and schools, smokefree. You can find a full summary of measures in the new Tobacco and Vapes Bill here: https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2024/11/05/new-tobacco-and-vapes-bill-introduced-to-parliament/
