UK lawmakers back bill to phase out smoking

The British government’s plan for a landmark smoking ban that aims to stop young people from ever smoking on Tuesday cleared its first hurdle in parliament, despite opposition from within British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party.

The bill, a key policy announced by Sunak last year, would make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born after Jan. 1, 2009. If passed, the bill would give Britain some of the toughest anti-smoking measures in the world.

Authorities say it will create modern Britain’s “first smoke-free generation.”

Under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, children turning 15 this year or younger would never be legally sold tobacco.

Once implemented — officials are aiming for 2027 — the legal age of sale that people in England can buy cigarettes would be raised by one year, every year until it is eventually illegal for the whole population.

The bill also includes measures to crack down on youth vaping, such as banning the sale of cheap disposable vapes and restricting their flavors to prevent children from becoming addicted to nicotine.

It is illegal for anyone to sell cigarettes or tobacco products and vapes to people under 18 years old throughout the UK.

Lawmakers voted 383 to 67 to give the bill a second reading after an afternoon of debate.

Although the bill was widely praised by health experts and had the support of the opposition Labour Party, Sunak faced rebellion from more libertarianminded members of his party, who criticized the proposals as “unconservative.”

Conservative lawmakers were granted a free vote, meaning they could vote with their personal conscience rather than follow the official party line.

Opponents, such as the smokers’ rights lobbying group FOREST, said the move risks creating a black market and would “treat future generations of adults like kids.”

Prominent voices within the Conservative Party, including former British prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, said that the plans went against conservative values by limiting freedom.

The bill was a “virtue-signaling piece of legislation about protecting adults from themselves in the future,” Truss told parliament during Tuesday’s debate.

Other high-profile Conservatives, including business secretary Kemi Badenoch, a Cabinet minister, also opposed the bill.

The British government said that smoking would not be criminalized and the phased changes mean that anyone who can legally buy cigarettes now would not be prevented from doing so.