The government rightly U-turned on banning smoking in pub gardens, it should do the same for plans to restrict products that help smokers quit, says Richard Holden MP
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will have its second reading in the House of Commons today. It’s a bill with laudable intentions. Very few people would argue that the government shouldn’t take action to discourage smoking and the damage it causes. However, certain aspects of this legislation need to be seriously questioned, because sadly they make a mockery of the entire bill.
But let’s start with the positives. Does anyone seriously believe the scandal of irresponsible and criminal actors flaunting the rules and deliberately peddling vapes to children should continue for even a day longer? Of course not. The efforts to crack down on this are undoubtedly a step in the right direction and worthy of praise. And although questions remain about how it will be enforced, the moves to restrict smoking outside schools and hospitals will sound reasonable to many.
The government showed very good sense to back down on the crackpot idea to ban smoking in pub gardens. But this is where the rubber really hits the road. Time and again, well-meaning public health officials will cut their nose off to spite their face by going a step too far. This danger is most evident when it comes to some of the proposals related to vaping. Vaping is a crucial harm-reduction tool – an ‘off ramp’ from smoking. Yet provisions in the bill will give the government the power to restrict the flavours and packaging of all types of vapes, and other less harmful products.
So, what’s the issue?
First, we need to be clear-eyed on the distinction between the shameful actors clearly targeting their vapes at children – like those designed in the shape of Spongebob Squarepants – and those vaping products which remain true to their original, medical purpose. As the Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty has said – “if you smoke, vaping is much safer; if you don’t smoke don’t vape”.
A study published just last week by researchers at UCL found that about one in five people who have stopped smoking for more than a year in England currently vape, equivalent to 2.2m people. That’s 2.2m people now on the path to a much healthier life. So why then, would we want heavy-handed legislation getting in the way of adults taking Chris Whitty’s advice? With the powers in the bill that rightly crackdown on child vaping and its enablers, why would we then want to hugely restrict the options available for adult cigarette smokers to shift to vapes, as was originally intended?
One in five people who have stopped smoking for more than a year in England currently vape, equivalent to 2.2m people. That’s 2.2m people now on the path to a much healthier life
Let’s consider the following scenario; a cigarette smoker is a fan of menthol. That individual is inclined to quit cigarettes if they can buy a vape with menthol flavouring, but there’s a hitch. The government in its wisdom decides to ban menthol flavoured vapes. As a result, this individual is now significantly less likely to make the positive decision to ditch the fags. Surely ministers can see the ridiculousness of such a scenario. And yet that is exactly the sort of situation this bill will give rise to. It brings to mind Ronald Reagan’s famous quip – “I’ve always felt the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”
Punishing adults
It is already illegal for under-18s to vape – so this bill is an implicit admission that the government cannot solve the problem of youth vaping without punishing adults at the same time.
Public health officials pushing politicians to adopt such proposals will only fuel the concerns many of us share – that this is a slippery slope to more intervention. One that restricts choice even when it makes no medical sense. The ‘well-intentioned’ desire to ‘help’ will no doubt impact other choices around the food we eat and what we drink. Where will it stop?
It’s time for the government to demonstrate the same good sense they showed in resisting the ban on smoking in pub gardens. They should abandon the self-sabotaging proposals that would get in the way of adults choosing vapes over cigarettes and giving themselves a better chance to lead a smoke-free future.
Richard Holden is MP for Badildon and Billericay