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.

  • CaptainBasculin@lemmy.ml
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    8 months ago

    Pushing an entire business into black market over time… Who in their right mind approved this?

    • CmdrShepard42@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      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.

      • MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works
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        8 months ago

        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.

        • CmdrShepard42@lemm.ee
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          8 months ago

          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.

          • MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works
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            8 months ago

            It’s worse because smoking had started to be relegated to designated areas. Non smokers could much more easily avoid smokers. But vaping is so easy to do that you can no longer avoid them. You go to a gathering of any kind and you’re guaranteed to have at least one arsehole not respecting other peoples decisions to not smoke/vape

            • CmdrShepard42@lemm.ee
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              8 months ago

              You’re equating the harms from second-hand smoke with vaping here, which don’t exist as they’re caused by the chemical reactions that occur when you burn plant matter.

              I’m not arguing that it’s okay for people to vape where they’re not supposed to, but you’re blowing things out of proportion here. The real danger to your lungs while in a gathering is from catching COVID from one of the individuals nearby you.

              • MrScottyTay@sh.itjust.works
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                8 months ago

                I’m equating the fact that I could more consistently distance myself from smokers. I can’t do that with vapers. When getting into a gig it was relatively rare to end up next to a snooker that just didn’t care anyway. Nowadays though you can’t get away from vapers who vape way more often than they would’ve done with smoking.

            • NeuronautML@lemmy.ml
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              8 months ago

              You mentioned popcorn lung 3 times already and i did look it up and i think you don’t understand what popcorn lung is, so i will write it for whoever is reading because i didn’t know either.

              Popcorn lung is a colloquialism for an illness named bronchiolitis obliterans, caused by diacetyl, a product found on early black market vapes that has been banned or discontinued for nearly 10 years now. Most clear market vapes already had discontinued the use of dyacetyl because they knew of the health risks, but only black market vapes were using it as a means to save money.

              Moreover, dyacetyl was not being used in nicotine vapes, it was being used in Cannabis vapes, as such, no exclusively nicotine products vaper who used store bought liquids was ever exposed to popcorn lung. So maybe you should read up on what popcorn lung is, before posting several comments about it. I don’t vape but i have family members who quit smoking because of vapes and i don’t appreciate your blatant misinformation about them. If there are legitimate criticisms of vaping, by all means post them, but this is a falsehood you are propagating.

    • stoly@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      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.

      • sazey@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Bruh. You do know you are talking about the cocaine capital of Europe here with your deluded “but they’re an island nation!” talk.

    • can@sh.itjust.works
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      8 months ago

      People who don’t understand how things work.

      Or people who benefit from there being more criminals…

  • ikidd@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Yah, banning drugs works great. And doing it in the most cowardly way possible really elevates that.

    • viralJ@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      I guess the difference between the prohibition in the US and this bill, is that the alcohol prohibition banned it to everyone at once. People who were used to drinking or down right alcoholics had a strong incentive to obtain alcohol from somewhere, so there was a market for the underground moonshine producers. This bill isn’t targeting people who are already addicted to nicotine, but rather aims at preventing people developing the addiction in the first place, so I can imagine the market for underground tobacco growers or smugglers will be much smaller and less profitable. I am optimistic that this approach will be more successful than the 20s in America, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

  • watty@lemm.ee
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    8 months ago

    This is literally an idea I had when I was 16 years old. I was pretty dumb when I was 16.

  • cynar@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    I personally support this plan. Smoking in the UK has already plummeted. A lot of smokers have moved to vaping. Unfortunately, those left are often the ruder ones. Limiting where they cam smoke, or reduce expire for everyone else is a big dead for me.

    Additionally, it’s not banning nicotine, it’s banning cigarettes. Vapes have changes the balance on that one. They are less damaging, and cause far less issues with passive smoking. This acts as a pressure relief valve, rather than a blanket nicotine ban. Also, at no point will an existing (legal) smoker go from legal to illegal.

    The vape issue definitely needs fixing. A number have found advertising to younger users is a good money maker. Limiting the options here l, without an outright ban would help reduce the harm to children. It wouldn’t significantly affect ex smokers who moved to vaping.

  • werefreeatlast@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Not here in the USA! With Trump, we’re going to recycle cigarettes into baby clothes and we’ll be using PTFE to bond the fibers together for a strong cancer healthcare company.

  • Andy@slrpnk.net
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    8 months ago

    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.

    • sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      8 months ago

      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

      • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
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        8 months ago

        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.

        • CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          8 months ago

          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.

          • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
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            8 months ago

            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…

  • Phoenix3875@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    It’s part of Labour’s platform. Also right now, even for pubs and beer gardens, there’s a license to restrict the number of people that can smoke outdoors.

  • venusaur@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    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.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    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.