Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Viscount Hanworth Excerpts

2nd reading
Wednesday 23rd April 2025 Lords Chamber

[Viscount Hanworth (Lab)]

My Lords, it is universally recognised that nicotine dependence is greatly harmful to the health of the individual and very costly to the state. The Explanatory Notes that accompany this Bill make that abundantly clear.

The issue has been addressed over many years by parliamentary legislation. There are hopeful signs that nicotine addiction has been declining throughout this period. About one in eight people in the UK—12.5%—are smokers, and the number has been declining since 1974, when systematic and detailed records were first compiled. Even with the present, much-diminished levels of smoking, the harm done by nicotine is immense. The campaign group ASH—Action on Smoking and Health—estimates that smoking currently costs England £21.8 billion per annum, which far exceeds the £8.8 billion in taxes paid in the year 2023-24 on the sales of tobacco.

There are stark differences in the incidence of the affliction among different groups in the population. Those most affected are the poorest members in society, and those suffering mental ill-health are among the most vulnerable. The physiological detriments of smoking are now well understood, and they are well represented in the statistics of illness and mortality. Most people who smoke do so with great regret, notwithstanding any tendency they may have to defend their right to smoke.

The attraction of smoking and the addiction to nicotine are also well understood. An effect of nicotine is to stimulate the release of endorphins—the body’s natural narcotics—and the dopamine hormone from the hypothalamus in the brain. Dopamine is popularly known as the “feel-good” hormone. A release of endorphins and dopamine is also an accompaniment of a healthy dose of exercise, which suggests that good habits can be as addictive as bad habits.

The link between cancer and smoking began to be established in the 1950s. After the Royal College’s recommendations in 1962, restrictions were placed on advertising, selling to children and smoking in public places. The taxes on tobacco were raised and information on the tar and nicotine content of tobacco products was mandated, and the sales began to fall continuously.

However, circumstances have been altered radically by the emergence of a new form of nicotine inhalation, described as vaping, which is deemed to be less injurious than smoking. The NHS website recommends a transition from smoking to vaping as a means of gradually overcoming a dependence on nicotine, but the full detriment of vaping has yet to be determined. Vaping also threatens to become the predominant means by which young people are induced into nicotine dependence.

The aspiration of the Government now is for a smoke-free Britain, and the present Bill imposes significant additional restrictions on nicotine products. Its most striking measure is the proposal to ban the sale of tobacco to people born on or after 1 January 2009, in the hope that future adult generations will never experience the affliction. The ban also applies to the sale of nicotine vapes to young people. In this connection, I appreciate the suggestion of the noble Lord, Lord Berkeley, that credit cards should convey information to enable easy age verification.

A ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes in England will come into force on 1 June 2025. This was proposed both as an environmental measure to overcome the litter of disposable vapes and as a way of limiting the access of young people to vapes. Future legislation might limit the sale of nicotine vapes to those who have a medical certificate to indicate that they are endeavouring to overcome their nicotine addiction. To be effective, the measures of this Bill need to be buttressed by a vigorous inspection routine and stiff penalties for infringements. Education in schools concerning the detriment of nicotine must also be pursued.

Finally, there may be push-back by the manufacturers of vapes, of which there are a handful in this country. However, 90% on these items are manufactured in China, in the Shenzhen region. It is interesting to observe that China has banned the sale of fruity vapes in its own country, even though they are still exported to the UK. Fruity vapes have been envisaged as a way of inducing children into the vaping habit, and they must be banned.