We have welcomed assurances from Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, that the Tobacco and Vaping Bill currently under consideration at Westminster will apply in Northern Ireland.
We had written to the Secretary of State following media reports that due to the Windsor Framework the Bill, or parts of it, would not be enforceable in Northern Ireland. The charity was particularly concerned that the new age of sale restrictions might not apply to Northern Ireland.
The Tobacco and Vaping Bill will increase the age at which tobacco products can be sold – which essentially will make it illegal to ever sell cigarettes to people born after 1 January 2009. There was speculation in the media that under the Windsor Framework measures, including the one on age, would not be applicable. This is because Northern Ireland, for the purposes of the sale of goods, remains under EU law following the agreement of the NI Protocol which was subsequently revised by the Windsor Framework.
Neil Johnston, Public Affairs and Policy Manager at Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke, says; “NICHS was concerned that people in Northern Ireland would not be afforded the same treatment as their fellow citizens in Great Britain. Westminster is legislating on this issue, and the NI Assembly has voted in support of this Bill, so we are clear that it must apply to Northern Ireland.”
“The Secretary of State has written to us and replied that ‘The measures will be rolled out in Northern Ireland at the same time as in the rest of the UK.’”
“NICHS welcomes this and while we are given to understand that a number of EU countries have objected to the Tobacco and Vaping Bill being introduced in Northern Ireland, that the wishes of the people of Northern Ireland as expressed in the NI Assembly and the public health of the people of Northern Ireland should be paramount in this matter.”
