Instead of building a legacy in concrete things they actually achieved, our leaders instead now try to conjure one by setting a binding but remote aspiration and letting others work out the details.
Henry Hill talks to Sky News’ Anna Botting about the Prime Minister’s new smoking ban.
Streeting celebrated the split in the Conservative Party on the smoking ban, and Labour’s “dominance in the battle of ideas”.
A look at the evidence and the opportunity cost of adults who vape instead of smoke, shows that vaping not only has the potential to save smokers’ lives, but could also save the NHS more than £500 million a year.
Atkins adds that continually raising the legal age of buying cigarettes will “reduce the demand on the NHS.”
The Government’s disposable vape ban is a mistake and with the explosion in demand for pouches, it is imperative we get the laws around them right to prevent a future moral panic.
With the publication on Wednesday of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, it is timely that we have launched the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Responsible Vaping.
The question the pollsters asked was: “How strongly, if at all, do you support or oppose a goal to make Britain a country where no one smokes?” There is no mention of a generational tobacco ban, or any policy at all, let alone prohibition.
The tobacco epidemic is already nearing its end and there is strong public support for measures to hasten its arrival.
The freedom of individuals to vape whatever they wish must stand. These wretched restrictions must go.
Liz Truss has called the policy “profoundly unconservative”. What’s unconservative? Discuss. But what can certainly be said is that it’s illberal and, in this case, Party members line up with individual freedom against government coercion.
Let’s move fast to outlaw irresponsible sales tactics, and increase punishments for those that do not abide by the law. But banning all vape flavours, or disposable vapes, would be immensely counterproductive.
MPs can pass whatever laws they like. Enforcing them is another matter. Trading Standards officers are already overstretched.
Rushed policy generally can do just as much harm as cigarettes in the long run – and, sadly, seems almost as addictive to politicians as nicotine.
Today marks the first time my colleagues can vote on this historic legislation. How we choose to act now will reflect on us for generations to come.