A bill to create a non-smoking generation in the UK has passed the primary gateway in Parliament.
Reuters and AFP reported that the British House of Commons handed the bill to the next stage of the House of Commons review with 415 votes in favor of 47 against the second reading of the “Cigarette and E-cigarette Bill” on the afternoon of the 26th local time.
Under the legislation, tobacco should not be sold to those born after January 1, 2009.
Currently, the sale of cigarettes to minors is prohibited, but if the bill is passed, those born in 2009 and later cannot buy cigarettes even when they become adults.
A similar bill was pushed by the former Conservative government and passed the first gateway in the House of Commons in April, but it was canceled when an early general election was announced and parliament dissolved.
It is considered a strong measure of legislation worldwide. New Zealand pushed for a similar policy last year, but abolished it.
The new legislation also gives the government the power to block smoking in outdoor spaces outside children’s playgrounds, schools and hospitals.
It also included regulations such as restrictions on e-cigarette advertising, prohibition on the sale of e-cigarettes from vending machines, and restrictions on the taste or packaging of e-cigarettes that minors may prefer.
The government originally tried to put a ban on smoking in outdoor areas of bars and cafes into the bill, but it withdrew it in light of the impact on the service industry.
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
