Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS) has welcomed the passing of the Tobacco and Vaping Bill by the House of Lords.
Neil Johnston, NICHS Public Affairs and Policy Manager, commented; “Elements of this Bill are the first of their kind in the world and will again see the UK lead the world in the battle against smoking. This is a great day for health promotion and a terrific way to mark No Smoking Month in March.”
The Third Reading of the Bill in the House of Lords yesterday means that the Tobacco and Vaping Bill has completed its legislative process through both of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. All that is needed now is Royal Assent which is a mere formality.
Neil continues; “There are many measures in this Bill that will help in the fight against the scourge of tobacco and in the efforts to discourage the use of vapes by young people.”
“The Bill means that, come the 1st of January 2027, no one born after 1st January 2009 will be allowed to purchase tobacco. This is a hugely innovative and radical act. The government is to be applauded for passing this crucial piece of legislation.”
“It is fundamentally important that this Bill applies to Northern Ireland. We have received assurances from Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, that it will.”
Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke 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.
Neil concludes; “The Assembly has voted on this Bill and made it clear that it wants it to apply in Northern Ireland. We cannot have second class citizens. People in Northern Ireland must have the same protection as people in the rest of the UK.”
“Fundamentally this is a public health measure and as such NICHS supports its introduction. We are disappointed that a number of EU countries have raised objections to the Bill being implemented in Northern Ireland.”
