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.

55 points

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

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32 points

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.

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4 points

Are you stupid? It’s not about the “businesses” and their well-being. It’s about the effect that black markets have on society.

People are going to get their drugs whether they’re legal or not. If you paid attention in history class and reality, you’d know that prohibition and the war on drugs does not solve the issue.

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39 points

More like prohibition doesn’t work

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25 points

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.

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12 points
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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?

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9 points

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.

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1 point

You know this, but nicotine isn’t the problem. It’s all the other crap in them.

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9 points
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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.

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1 point

Libertarians

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-1 points

People who don’t understand how things work.

Or people who benefit from there being more criminals…

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26 points

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.

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19 points

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.

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4 points
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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.

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7 points

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.

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5 points

Vaping is currently almost completely unregulated and some studies have found terrifying chemicals in them

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1 point

Are we still going on about the diacetyl and studies that drove the coils so hard they were basically incinerating the cotton and juice?

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7 points

So regulate them and enforce it.

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8 points

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.

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

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1 point

Cocaine is far easier to traffic than giant cigarette cartons.

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2 points

The problem is, its very hard to hide the fact you are a smoker. This is why the ban will be effective, its not worth it for kids to take it up.

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1 point

A very good point actually

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4 points

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).

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7 points

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.

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7 points

NZ reversed that ban 1 year after announcing it and decades before it would have gone into effect.

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-2 points

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.

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24 points

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.

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-5 points
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What are you even talking about? I didn’t say anything about banning it.

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14 points

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?

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5 points
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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. It’s readily available everywhere. A black market isn’t nearly as ubiquitous as selling it in every shop across the country.

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-3 points

Well done UK!

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14 points

🥱

More black markets aren’t the solution.

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