Labour’s Plans to Phase out Smoking hailed as ‘Game-Changing’

Health leaders have called the government’s plans to introduce the world’s first smoking ban, halt sales of energy drinks to children and modernise mental health laws “game-changing”.

Labour will also impose restrictions on the sale and marketing of vapes to children and launch a crackdown on junk food advertising in a drive to improve the health of future generations.

The announcement was made during the King’s Speech.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said:

“The King’s Speech has some game-changing commitments that will improve the nation’s health – with reforms to the Mental Health Act and legislation to create a smoke-free generation at the top of the list.

“Our members will also support the focus on children and young people, with measures to tackle the impact of junk food and high-caffeine energy drinks a welcome starting point.”

The tobacco and vapes bill will progressively increase the age at which people can buy tobacco so that future generations will never legally be able to do so.

This prevents anyone born after January 1, 2009, from legally smoking.

This will make the UK the first country in the world to ban smoking.

When he was Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak vowed to pass the bill but ditched it in its early stages.

The bill also paves the way for changes to the sale and branding of vapes to reduce their appeal to children.

Flavours such as bubble gum and candy floss may also face curbs as research shows young people prefer them to flavours such as menthol.

Also included are restrictions on the packaging and display of products such as tobacco pouches that can draw children into smoking.

Trading Standards officials will get more powers to fine retailers who sell vapes and tobacco to under-18s.

Professor Sir Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, said the move to create a smoke-free country would be “a major step forward in public health”.

Cancer Research UK’s executive director of policy, Dr Ian Walker, predicted the ban would “have a hugely positive impact on the nation’s health”.

Greg Fell, president of the Association of Directors of Public Health, said:

“Phasing out smoking will save thousands of lives, help protect the next generation from ever becoming addicted to this lethal product, and do more to narrow the unacceptably large gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions than any other single measure.”

Professor Steve Turner called the move “a major milestone” towards the UK having “the healthiest generation of children in our history”.

Those detained under the Mental Health Act will be given greater choice and rights under new legislation unveiled as part of the King’s Speech.

It aims to put more power in the hands of patients and put them at the centre of decisions about their care.

It amends the 1983 act, which Labour described as “woefully out of date”, to bring it “into the 21st century”.

Dr Sarah Hughes, chief executive of Mind, hailed the changes as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity”.

But Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of Sane, said:

“While mental health services are so impoverished and there is limited access to treatments and therapies, the vision for improved rights and individual choice cannot be realised.”