Tobacco & Vapes Bill passes through House of Commons
The Tobacco & Vapes Bill has passed through the House of Commons, with the latest reading passing with a vote of 366 to 41.
The next stage for the Bill will be a debate in the House of Lords on Wednesday 23rd April.
Meanwhile, retailers are being encouraged to sign an open letter telling government that the Bill is likely to drive more customers to illicit tobacco and illegal vapes.
The letter, addressed to Jonathan Reynolds, Secretary of State for Business and Trade, expresses dismay at the Bill which will have a direct impact on thousands of retailers across the UK, with the Bill putting businesses at risk and endangering retailers’ livelihoods.
“We understand the government wanting to stop smoking in the UK, but there doesn’t seem to be any guarantee this Bill will do that,” reads the letter.
“There is little doubt that this Bill will just drive even more smokers to seek out easily available, cheap cigarettes and vapes. The criminals smuggling and selling these products are already taking legitimate sales away from responsible retailers.
“Some estimates say that 25% of cigarettes in the UK are illicit – and we all know how illegal vapes have also flooded the UK in recent years. As it stands, local enforcement is already inadequate – responsible retailers have little recourse.”
The letter goes onto stress that violence and abuse directed at convenience store workers are at an all-time high.
“Keeping customers and staff safe is the number one priority of any responsible retailer – and most of us are responsible,” it adds.
Asking the Secretary of State to listen to retailers, the letter adds thousands of them are facing “real economic hardship, possibly even collapse, off the back of a Bill that will likely fail in its objective”.
“As it stands, the Bill only promises to push the convenience retail sector towards the brink and put its staff in the firing line. The only people who stand to benefit are the criminals who are already flooding our communities with dangerous products,” it concludes.
Retailers are encouraged to sign the letter at Protect Your Store | An Open Letter to The Secretary of State
NI Assembly members voted in support of the region’s inclusion in the Tobacco & Vapes Bill in February this year, following a plenary debate on the Legislative Consent Motion on the Bill.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said the Bill was a landmark step providing an opportunity to reduce preventable deaths and health inequalities across NI.
However, the Tobacco Manufacturers’ Association said the generational ban “lacks common sense” while also completely disregarding the unintended consequences, and the UKVIA added that while it supports the need to tackle youth sales, it was necessary not to ignore those adult smokers who turn to vapes in a bid to stop smoking.
