UK lawmakers vote in favour of some of world’s strictest anti-smoking rules

British lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday in favour of plans to introduce some of the world’s strictest anti-smoking rules, giving the green light for the bill to progress to the next parliamentary stage.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to make vapes less appealing and would ensure anyone aged 15 this year, or younger would be banned from ever buying cigarettes. After a lengthy debate in the parliament’s House of Commons, a total of 415 lawmakers voted in favour of the bill while 47 voted against it.

It would ban vape advertising and the sale of vapes in vending machines, as well as restricting vape packaging and flavours that overtly appeal to children and young people, such as bubblegum and candyfloss.

“The number of children vaping is growing at an alarming rate and without urgent intervention, we’re going to have a generation of children with long-term addiction,” Labour health secretary Wes Streeting said.

The previous Conservative government announced similar measures to create the first smoke-free generation. However, those plans failed to become law before the general election in the summer.

“Whatever our views on this bill are, it is a bold legislation of good intention,” Caroline Johnson, the Conservative shadow minister for health, told parliament ahead of the vote. “It’s not clear whether it will work but we have to all hope … that it does.”