The King’s Speech has confirmed that the smoking ban proposed by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will go ahead under the new Labour government.
Today (17 July) King Charles delivered the newly elected Labour government’s first King’s Speech in the House of Lords.
It laid out approximately 40 bills which will be prioritised in the coming months. Among these was a revival of the tobacco and vapes bill.
Sunak first proposed the legislation in autumn 2023. It would raise the legal smoking age by one year annually, effectively banning smoking for anyone born in 2009 or later. It would also include measures to limit marketing of vapes to children.
MPs voted in favour of the bill by 383 votes to 67 in April 2024. However, the bill was dropped in the run up to the general election on 4 July.
Today’s speech has confirmed that the plans will now go ahead with the legal purchase age to be gradually increased.
Junk food and energy drinks
Another measure announced within the King’s Speech was legislation to restrict the advertisement of junk food to children. Sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children would be barred within the same bill.
Charlotte Eckhardt, dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) at RCS (Royal College of Surgeons) England, said: ‘The Faculty of Dental Surgery welcomes the government’s commitment to restricting the advertising of junk food to children and the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children.
‘Excessive sugar consumption contributes to tooth decay, which remains the leading cause of hospital admission for children aged five to nine years.’
In January, more than 40 organisations made an appeal for the government to ban energy drinks for children. Lead author Amelia Lake said: ‘Energy drinks are marketed to children and young people as a way to improve energy and performance, but our findings suggest that they are actually doing more harm than good.
‘We have raised concerns about the health impacts of these drinks for the best part of a decade after finding that they were being sold to children as young as 10-years-old for as little as 25p. That is cheaper than bottled water.
‘The evidence is clear that energy drinks are harmful to the mental and physical health of children and young people as well as their behaviour and education. We need to take action now to protect them from these risks.’
‘Safeguard future generations from the chains of addiction’
When the proposed smoking ban legislation was first announced, the dental profession responded positively to it. Dental therapist Gemma Cowen said: ‘In my professional capacity, I witness firsthand the devastating impact of tobacco on oral health. Patients grapple with addiction, struggling to break free for the betterment of their oral and systemic wellbeing.
‘This initiative promises to safeguard future generations from the chains of addiction and the onslaught of systemic diseases. Moreover, it stands as a bulwark against the strain tobacco-related illnesses place on our healthcare system.’
However, some professionals expressed concern that the ban would not prevent the public from obtaining tobacco.
Dental hygienist and therapist Ellena Jackson said: ‘Currently there are many substances in the UK that are illegal. However banning them hasn’t prevented people from obtaining them. The yearly tax revenue from tobacco is exceptionally high but it is still far less than the cost of smoking on the economy and wider society.
‘By banning tobacco we may simply be putting that money outside of tax brackets into criminal enterprises without lessening the burden of smoking on the NHS. This could impact the nation’s finances and subsequently NHS funding.’
‘Prevention will always be better, and cheaper, than a cure’
The bill also proved controversial among politicians.
Former prime minister Boris Johnson dubbed the plans ‘absolutely nuts’. He said: ‘When I look at some of the things we are doing now, or that are being done in the name of conservatism, I think they’re absolutely nuts. We’re banning cigars. What is the point of banning? The party of Winston Churchill wants to ban cigars…’
However former health secretary Victoria Atkins publicly disagreed with this statement. She released a statement titled, ‘Even cigar-chomping Winston Churchill would see the sense in smoking ban’.
The Labour Party consistently expressed support for the smoking ban. Health secretary Wes Streeting said: ‘Let us act today so that the next generation of young people can live healthier, happier and longer lives than the generations before them. Labour will give our wholehearted support to this bill.’
Prior to the election, the party’s manifesto stated: ‘Prevention will always be better, and cheaper, than a cure. So, we must take preventative public health measures to tackle the biggest killers and support people to live longer, healthier lives.
‘That starts with smoking. Labour will ensure the next generation can never legally buy cigarettes and ensure all hospitals integrate “opt-out” smoking cessation interventions into routine care.
‘Labour will ban vapes from being branded and advertised to appeal to children to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.’
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