Smoking Archives - Politics.co.uk

MPs back plans for phased smoking ban amid Conservative Party split

A landmark bill to ban the younger generation from ever smoking cleared its first hurdle in the House of Commons on Tuesday evening. The Tobacco and Vapes bill passed its first parliamentary hurdle comfortably by 415 votes to 47. The legislation, if passed unamended at future stages, would mean anyone born after 1 January 2009 […]

Abandoning the Tobacco and Vapes Bill would betray a generation

I write this as I’m waiting for my son to get home from school. He’s 15 in a few months, about to make the decisions some teenagers makes about the future – exam prep, A-levels, university. And as a parent, I have the constant mixture of excitement, pride and worry you always have for your […]

Kirsten Oswald: ‘The UK government must ban vape branding on sports strips’

For two years I have been campaigning hard for a ban on disposable vapes because of their adverse impact on the environment and young people’s health in particular. I have asked question upon question, led debates on the issue, written multiple letters, and put ministers under pressure at every available opportunity. So when the UK […]

Liz Truss calls on PM to reverse ‘profoundly unconservative’ smoking ban proposal

Former prime minister Liz Truss has urged her successor in No 10 Downing Street to reverse the government’s policy on banning smoking, labelling the initiative “profoundly unconservative”. The government’s smoking bill will be debated in the House of Commons next month, with the prime minister likely to face further criticism from Conservative colleagues. The bill […]

The nation’s lung health divide

Analysis from Asthma + Lung UK reveals a stark north/south divide in the likelihood of someone with a lung condition being hospitalised or dying. The leading lung health charity’s CEO, Sarah Woolnough, urges UK governments to end the lung health lottery by investing in earlier diagnosis, improved care and respiratory research. The health of our […]

Government must deliver on new tobacco plan and step up action to tackle other leading preventable health risks

Smoking is a major cause of preventable ill health and early death in England, and a big driver of our stark inequalities in life expectancy. While overall rates of smoking are in decline, they remain stubbornly high among those who are more disadvantaged. In recent years we have seen little from the government about how […]