Smoking Law in Great Britain

[elvishrunes]

That “genius” idea and legislation has already been floated before like in New Zealand where Ardern was voted out shortly after. So an older brother can smoke, but won’t pass a cig to his younger brother, hmmm.

And of course it won’t lead to a black market, hmm. Politicians never learn. Doubt it will pass in parliament.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

By the time that rolls around, you'll have to drive to the one shop in the country that still stocks them. The rest will be out of business.

Yeah, they'll probably stop the shops selling them and make you go to a government run shop and provide a government issued biometric id.

 

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Well, on the plus side, based on history in the US we now know what the single most lucrative job in the UK is going to be a few years from now. M'yeh, see... m'yeh.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I thought it was a done deal, but I could be wrong. They were talking about it on CaneRodPiper's livestream chat yesterday.

The article you cite is the “deal” that wasn’t done.

It may get “done” soon, no reason to think it won’t, but not done yet from all appearances I can find. No doubt there will be more reporting once it is official.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

Does this include vaping? I don't see kids smoking cigarettes much these days. They sure as heck aren't smoking pipes or cigars either. They all have those stupid vape pens or devices, to go along with their energy drinks, and hot chips.

 

[Briarcutter]

They all have those stupid vape pens or devices, to go along with their energy drinks, and hot chips.

Yeah, that along with all the junk food they consume has got to be healthy

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

Does this include vaping? I don't see kids smoking cigarettes much these days. They sure as heck aren't smoking pipes or cigars either. They all have those stupid vape pens or devices, to go along with their energy drinks, and hot chips.

Yeah, that's all I ever see, man bags and vapes.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

Yeah, that along with all the junk food they consume has got to be healthy

They're trying to do something about that. A few years ago they brought in a "sugar tax" that adds extra taxes to any food/drink that is over a certain percentage of sugar. An example would be a 500ml bottle of classic Coke, that costs an extra 15p.

No idea if it's having any effect. They'll probably say it isn't so they've gotta jack up the sugar tax some more.

 

[Zamora]

Nothing new here. Other such laws have already been enacted.

I'm of two minds about this. Smoking is an addiction and potentially harmful to one's health. Killing it off has benefits. Same goes for alcohol, which is now known to cause cancer, besides killing brain cells.

On the other hand, I'm not a believer in legislating morality. It rarely works with sapiens. Prohibition was a great success, especially for organized crime, right?

Enjoying a pipe is one of life's pleasures, one I'll enjoy until I can't. But that doesn't mean that I recommend it to others.

And repealed in the case of New Zealand

 

[Zamora]

They're trying to do something about that. A few years ago they brought in a "sugar tax" that adds extra taxes to any food/drink that is over a certain percentage of sugar. An example would be a 500ml bottle of classic Coke, that costs an extra 15p.

No idea if it's having any effect. They'll probably say it isn't so they've gotta jack up the sugar tax some more.

Yep thanks to Jamie Oliver. Every time a more extreme nanny state law is introduced it's a tacit admission the previous one didn't work. Sin taxes on cigarettes really get me because at least in America poor people smoke them the most and rich people the least, so clearly it's not an affective deterrent.

 

[Briarcutter]

Sin taxes on cigarettes really get

Leave it to our gooberments, it's like taxing stupidity to make people smarter.

 

[Mike N]

They’ll be exposed to it. Everyone older than them will still be smoking. That’s like saying anyone under 21 doesn’t know what alcohol is.

Exactly. Generations today each span 15 years with Generation Y (Millennials) born from 1980 to 1994; Generation Z from 1995 to 2009 and Generation Alpha from 2010 to 2024. And then Beta will be born from 2025 to 2039.

When Gen A turns 35 after serving their country in the British Army but are told they can’t smoke a cigar at JJ Fox’s like their older brother, dad, grandfather and, course the greatest Brit ever, Winston Churchill, we will see what Parliament does. Legislating social habits in a democracy seldom works; the Prohibition repeal is in fact an “apples to apples” comparison. Ten years ago we were putting people in prison for smoking pot. Now there are “medical marijuana“ dispensaries in nearly every city in America.

If the British generational ban passes, my money is on that generation not wanting to be told they can’t smoke a pipe or cigar when having a Beefeaters and tonic in their backyards in their 40’s. But, who knows?

 

[Elric]

Yeah, that's all I ever see, man bags and vapes.

Hey, let's leave my man bag out of this! It carries my portable pipe gear.

 

[gawithhoggarth]

This is the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which was announced in the King’s speech on 7 November 2023 and introduced to Parliament on 20 March 2024. We then had a new government and so it was re-introduced to parliament in November 2024. Its now at committee stage for changes and consultations and will then to go to a 3rd reading before going to the House of Lords before final stages and Royal Assent. There is a still a fair way to go and changes could be made. Indeed already they have walked back on banning smoking in pub gardens. It is also very much geared towards vaping as well as the generational smoking ban, due to the massive number of youngsters (under 18) vaping but who have never smoked - disposal vapes are banned from June 2025 as there is such a environmental impact from them being dropped everywhere. There will be a vape tax added in 2027 I think and looking at nicotine taxes. Of course this will all have a knock on effect on smoking as there will be a one off large tax increase on tobacco at the same time to ensure that it is kept more expensive than vaping.

There are other measures to do with packaging and health warnings.

All it will do is drive smoking underground and fuel the already massive illicit trade.

And there is no way they can police half the regulations. Shops will not want to have to check every single person's ID to see if they can buy tobacco. Many other countries are banning vapes or flavoured vapes and making them only available through pharmacies.

 

[JOHN72]

It's funny, they want to wipe out tobacco and alcohol. How many decades will it take them to root out cocaine, synthetic drugs, Moroccan drugs? No bombs of mass destruction have been needed to turn Europe into a rubbish dump.

 

[Scottmi]

Exactly. Generations today each span 15 years with Generation Y (Millennials) born from 1980 to 1994; Generation Z from 1995 to 2009 and Generation Alpha from 2010 to 2024. And then Beta will be born from 2025 to 2039.

Oh great. Any grandkids I might get are going to be 'Betas?' Swell. I suppose should be glad won't be born-to-be Gammas.

 

[Zamora]

Exactly. Generations today each span 15 years with Generation Y (Millennials) born from 1980 to 1994; Generation Z from 1995 to 2009 and Generation Alpha from 2010 to 2024. And then Beta will be born from 2025 to 2039.

When Gen A turns 35 after serving their country in the British Army but are told they can’t smoke a cigar at JJ Fox’s like their older brother, dad, grandfather and, course the greatest Brit ever, Winston Churchill, we will see what Parliament does. Legislating social habits in a democracy seldom works; the Prohibition repeal is in fact an “apples to apples” comparison. Ten years ago we were putting people in prison for smoking pot. Now there are “medical marijuana“ dispensaries in nearly every city in America.

If the British generational ban passes, my money is on that generation not wanting to be told they can’t smoke a pipe or cigar when having a Beefeaters and tonic in their backyards in their 40’s. But, who knows?

I think if it does pass there's a good chance it will be repealed for those very reasons. Even if I didn't smoke I'd be resentful if I couldn't because I was born after some arbitrary cutoff date.

This is the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which was announced in the King’s speech on 7 November 2023 and introduced to Parliament on 20 March 2024. We then had a new government and so it was re-introduced to parliament in November 2024. Its now at committee stage for changes and consultations and will then to go to a 3rd reading before going to the House of Lords before final stages and Royal Assent. There is a still a fair way to go and changes could be made. Indeed already they have walked back on banning smoking in pub gardens. It is also very much geared towards vaping as well as the generational smoking ban, due to the massive number of youngsters (under 18) vaping but who have never smoked - disposal vapes are banned from June 2025 as there is such a environmental impact from them being dropped everywhere. There will be a vape tax added in 2027 I think and looking at nicotine taxes. Of course this will all have a knock on effect on smoking as there will be a one off large tax increase on tobacco at the same time to ensure that it is kept more expensive than vaping.

There are other measures to do with packaging and health warnings.

All it will do is drive smoking underground and fuel the already massive illicit trade.

And there is no way they can police half the regulations. Shops will not want to have to check every single person's ID to see if they can buy tobacco. Many other countries are banning vapes or flavoured vapes and making them only available through pharmacies.

Further laws on packaging? I didn't think they could do anything more extreme than plain packaging, are they seeking to end the exemptions for cigars and pipe tobacco?

 

[InWithBothFeet]

It's funny, they want to wipe out tobacco and alcohol. How many decades will it take them to root out cocaine, synthetic drugs, Moroccan drugs? No bombs of mass destruction have been needed to turn Europe into a rubbish dump.

I don't know about Moroccan drugs, but I'd still like to try HU Moroccan Spice. SP says it's not going to be imported.

 

[Zamora]

It's funny, they want to wipe out tobacco and alcohol. How many decades will it take them to root out cocaine, synthetic drugs, Moroccan drugs? No bombs of mass destruction have been needed to turn Europe into a rubbish dump.

Parliament wouldn't do anything about that because it would probably put half their kids in the slammer

 

[JOHN72]

I don't know about Moroccan drugs, but I'd still like to try HU Moroccan Spice. SP says it's not going to be imported.

Sorry. I meant the hashish (chocolate) that comes from Morocco.