U.K. bans smoking for next generation; Canadian health groups push federal action
A law taking effect in January will prohibit tobacco sales to anyone born after 2008. Health advocates here want Ottawa to go further and ban vaping too.
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The United Kingdom's Parliament passed legislation that takes effect in January, prohibiting the sale of tobacco to anyone born after 2008. The law passed both houses with cross-partisan support under a Conservative proposal and Labour implementation. Vaping products were originally included but were removed from the final scope. Instead, vaping will be regulated through plain packaging requirements and products kept behind screens in stores.
The move is spurring Canadian health advocates to push the federal government toward a similar — or broader — ban. Sarah Sleet, CEO of Asthma + Lung U.K., told media that "public support in Britain took decades of lobbying and advocacy," and notes that when surveyed, smokers themselves do not want their children smoking, knowing "what a terrible thing it is, they know how bad it is for their health, they know how expensive it is."
Jessica Buckley, president and CEO of Lung Health Foundation Canada, wants vaping included in Canada's conversation. "Kids who vape are 3 1/2 times more likely to smoke tobacco in the future," she said. However, a concern in the U.K. is that the law limits access to vaping products people use to stop smoking.
Tobacco industry and convenience retailers oppose an outright ban. Eric Gagnon, vice-president regulatory affairs at Imperial Tobacco Canada, shares the goal of keeping cigarettes and vapes from youth but does not support prohibition, warning that "Canada already has a huge illicit market, not only on cigarettes but on nicotine pouches, on vaping products." Jeff Brownlee, vice-president communications for the Convenience Industry Council of Canada, said "Canada is unique in the illegal tobacco market, with one of the most sophisticated contraband trades in the world. Illegal tobacco products account for 50 per cent of the national market, and even more in some regions." He called for a national strategy to crack down on contraband instead.
U.K. advocates' research suggests illicit market size "is massively overestimated."
Would a Canadian smoking ban face legal challenge based on constitutional grounds?
What enforcement mechanisms would apply to tobacco sales to people born after 2008?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
By the numbers
Who is banned from buying tobacco under the U.K.'s new law?
Anyone born after 2008 will be prohibited from purchasing tobacco when the law takes effect in January.
What percentage of Canada's tobacco market is illegal, according to industry sources?
Illegal tobacco products account for 50 per cent of the national market, and even more in some regions, according to Jeff Brownlee, vice-president communications for the Convenience Industry Council of Canada.
How much more likely are kids who vape to smoke tobacco later?
Children who vape are 3½ times more likely to smoke tobacco in the future, according to Jessica Buckley, president and CEO of Lung Health Foundation Canada.
