Summary
The UK has introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, aiming to make it illegal for future generations to buy cigarettes. The bill proposes gradually raising the minimum smoking age, so those born after January 1, 2009, will never be able to purchase tobacco legally.
It also includes restrictions on vape flavors and packaging to prevent youth addiction and bans smoking in certain outdoor spaces, though pub beer gardens are exempt.
Supported by the Labour Party’s majority, the legislation seeks to create a “smoke-free U.K.” and combat smoking-related deaths.
Do you know what I’d like to see?
Instead of banning them, ban the extraction of profit on producing and selling them. Turn them into an entirely recreational market. I’d love to see the outcome of trying that.
Wouldn’t that just push sales into the black market? Unless the government nationalized the sale of cigarettes, which seems… not great, if they believe in smoking cessation
Think of it like clubs for tobacco enthusiasts. Ideally you would have a club with one super knowledgeable person, split the costs of growing and his time and split the the results on potentially various types of products.
So kind of like how farm cooperatives work (I think?)?
There’s a guy at the farmers market that offers “shares” of cows. I can’t remember the details but you pay for a certain “guaranteed” pounds of beef plus sausage made from other parts (not guaranteed to be one cow), a long with some other meats (chicken, etc). When the cow is slaughtered, you get your meat.
Similar idea. In a lot of states it could be done locally with many tobacco strains.
I like the idea, but the people who do split the animal deals around me take advantage of their customers… wish I have had better experiences. Used to be a couple neighbors just paid a butcher on their off hours…
Pushing an entire business into black market over time… Who in their right mind approved this?
Won’t somebody think of the poor struggling businesses.
Where would society be without those good old death stick sellers who hid decades of research into health risks and marketed to children. Cornerstone of society and they’re trying to ban it? Savages.
More like prohibition doesn’t work
It’ll work for the majority of people. You won’t be able to do it out in public.
If you want to get cancer in your own house go ahead.
The truth is they put a huge burden on public services. Mainly the health service but also they create insane amounts of litter.
If vaping is still an option then most people will just do that.
If you want to get cancer in your own house go ahead.
I agree with the sentiment of both you and the person I originally applied to. Smoking is a blight and I wish it would go away. I simply don’t think prohibition is the way to do it.
Mainly the health service but also they create insane amounts of litter
Vaping also creates an insane amount of litter. I wish vaping would go away just as much as I do cigarettes.
Yeah vaping will have its time. I bet they’re already sitting on evidence that it fucks you up.
Prohibition does work very well for kids though. Most people start young as when you’re older you know the issues.
So they are keeping it for people already exposed and trying to stop younger people starting in the first place.
They raised the age to 18 when I turned 16 and it dramatically cut the amount we had access to.
It’s not like the old alcohol probation. Plus smoking isn’t even fun like drinking. It’s just gross and bad for your health. And most people don’t drink because of addiction. It’s a different kettle of fish.
But they should be doing the same for vaping.
It’s not a secret. Ask any medical professional and they’ll tell you about popcorn lung. Vaping is worse in many ways. Look, don’t suck non “air” into your lungs. Pollution is bad enough for us. We don’t need to make it worse.
Exactly. Smoking was dying off due to vaping until all these countries got a stick up their ass over it and decided to either outright ban vapes or put ridiculous regulations on them. This is why everyone uses disposables in the US now and toss their lithium batteries in the trash every couple days.
vaping was much worse because people blatantly use them indoors and wherever else they shouldn’t. And due to them not needing to light up they just constantly puff on them between every three breaths. It’s fucking awful being in a queue or walking behind someone vaping.
Supported by the Labour Party’s majority, the legislation seeks to create a “smoke-free U.K.” and combat smoking-related deaths.
vaping was much worse
Why?
because people blatantly use them indoors and wherever else they shouldn’t
I don’t know if that really makes them worse than premature death.
People who vape are using nicotine much, much more often because it’s just so much easier now. And it taste like bubblegum. The whole idea of vape as a means to quit smoking was a myth created by vaping companies. Nicotine is also bad for you, not just the smoke. And then there’s the issues of the other compounds inside vaping liquids that should be heading into your lungs. It’s insane we let this get this far.
Look up popcorn lung. Vaping is not better than smoking.
Oh boo hoo!
People being mildly annoying means they should be banned? Cigarettes were killing smokers and those around them. That’s the line for me. If your actions harm others, then it gets restricted.
Vapes are nowhere near that line. They just smell weird.
They really are. Popcorn lung is a thing with vapers. Plus I don’t want to inhale their nasty nicotine on accident. They need to have some damn respect for people around them instead of blatant selfishness. That’s the line for me.
We don’t have 30 year studies on vapes like we do with cigarettes.
Vaping is currently almost completely unregulated and some studies have found terrifying chemicals in them
So regulate them and enforce it.
Are we still going on about the diacetyl and studies that drove the coils so hard they were basically incinerating the cotton and juice?
People who don’t like cancer and want to take the insane pressure these death sticks put on the health service.
Who in their right mind supports mega corps selling addictive cancer causing products to young people?
The point is prohibition doesn’t work. I would prefer no young person ever try cigarettes, or nicotine in any form. But I don’t think that’s realistic.
It works really well for kids. They aren’t even trying to ban it for adults.
Raising the age from 16 to 18 had a massive effect when I was young.
This will most likely dramatically decrease smoking in young people and that’s great.
It’s not 100% or nothing.
I’d love to be wrong about this. But I started smoking at 20, and while I’ve kicked cigarettes for good I couldn’t make quitting nicotine stick.
You know this, but nicotine isn’t the problem. It’s all the other crap in them.
Sure, but on another level yes, nicotine is a problem. It’s super fucking addictive and I hate my dependence on it. And harsher regulation on nicotine products in my area have ironically made it tougher to ween myself off.
Libertarians
Because it’s a gradual ban, rather than a blanket ban for everyone immediately, they are hoping the demand won’t be there by the time the last generation of legal smokers die off (sooner than you think given cigarettes are designed to kill).
People who don’t understand how things work.
Or people who benefit from there being more criminals…
They are an island nation with very strict controls. The black market will be small. The real worry would be no different than age restrictions already in effect: find someone old enough to buy it for you.
Next do beer!
I dare you Parliament.In England? Lol
Sounds good to me, tbh. Increasing health for everyone involved, reducing costs on medical services. I think New Zealand had something similiar? Instead of an outright ban affecting everyone this is slowly phased out, so young kids probably won’t even miss it.
NZ reversed that ban 1 year after announcing it and decades before it would have gone into effect.
Well done UK!
Sounds excellent for the vape market. Just make it so only natural tobacco is legal and at the same age in which you can be drafted in the UK.
I think cigarettes should be put behind a prescription wall. If you are addicted, a doctor can help you quit. In the mean time, they can make sure you keep having the nicotine delivery system you’re used to.
And then what about everything outside of that ridiculous context? Arrest people for possession of a plant? That’s always been a good idea.
Tobacco is important to people. If you ban it, there will be a black market. Especially for something like a plant that can simply be grown.
Ban the sale of it. That’s it. You want to cultivate it yourself, no problem. Share it with friends and family, OK. Just no more industrialized tobacco.
There will be a black market. So what? The problem isn’t that people are using it. The problem is ubiquity. A black market isn’t nearly as ubiquitous as selling it in every shop across the country.
What are you even talking about? I didn’t say anything about banning it.
You’re talking about making it a prescription drug only allowed for cessation purposes. That sure sounds like a ban on recreational use to me. What happens when someone without a prescription is caught with tobacco under this system you’re proposing? What makes this preferable to just letting people smoke?
That sure sounds like a ban on recreational use to me.
You said nothing about recreational use. But something that overloads the healthcare system and costs a ton of money should not be allowed freely for recreational use.
What happens when someone without a prescription is caught with tobacco under this system you’re proposing?
A fine. Like many things that people do that are illegal. Are you under the bizarre impression that the only possible thing you can do to someone who commits a crime is imprison them?
What makes this preferable to just letting people smoke?
It helps them quit. Which is good. See above, re overloading the healthcare system and costing a ton of money.
Are you under the bizarre impression that the only possible thing you can do to someone who commits a crime is imprison them?
I didn’t say anything about imprisoning people. Any legal consequence for possession of a plant is too far.
It helps them quit.
It leverages a nanny state that forces people to quit whether they want to or not.
When British taxpayers are the ones paying for the smokers’ illnesses, whether or not they personally want to quit is not the issue. You do know how socialized medicine works, yes? British nonsmokers should not have to foot the bill when they get emphysema or lung cancer.
I don’t know why you think they should.
Are you under the bizarre impression that the only possible thing you can do to someone who commits a crime is imprison them?
You’re replying to an American. So, yes.
If it’s a fine then it’s effectively only illegal for poor people – unless the fine scales with wealth
Like Finland’s speeding fines. That’s reasonable.
Yah, banning drugs works great. And doing it in the most cowardly way possible really elevates that.
