I welcome the Prime Minister’s announcement at the Conservative Party Conference last month of new efforts to reduce smoking rates and create a ‘smokefree generation’ for those born after 1 January 2009.
I fundamentally believe in freedom of choice, so banning anything goes against the grain, but I know from my time way back as Shadow Health Minister the damage done by smoking. I back the Government’s aspiration to make the UK ‘smokefree by 2030’ (ie smoking rate 5% or less).
Smoking is the UK’s leading cause of preventable death. It is responsible for around 1 in 4 cancer deaths leading to 64,000 premature deaths per year. It causes a wide range of other problems including heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma. Reducing smoking is crucial for ensuring that people live longer, healthier lives.
It is also a huge burden on the economy, costing £17 billion a year, through smoking related lost earnings, unemployment, early deaths and costs to the NHS.
When I was first elected in 2005, one of the first major legislative changes I was involved in was the ban on smoking in public buildings, offices and pubs, which came into force in 2007. It was a controversial big change at the time, but it is hard to imagine life any different it now.
We have made significant progress in reducing smoking rates in the UK. A combination of the smoking ban, the doubling of duty on cigarettes since 2010 and ongoing funding of stop smoking services has ensured we are well-placed compared to other countries in Europe. France, for example, has almost twice the percentage of the population that smokes compared to the UK (24.5% vs 12.9%)
As I said at the beginning, I am concerned that this restricts the free choice of adults, and particularly where it sets a precedent in which some adults in this country have greater freedom than others. I am also mindful of the fact that significant progress is already being made to cut smoking rates and, policies such as increased duty, may be a fairer way.
This is new legislation, so it is bound to create some concerns. Whilst a similar policy has already been announced in New Zealand, it has yet to take effect, so we cannot see how it is working out.
The PM has said that this legislation will be subject to a free vote, so I am keen to hear from anyone, particularly any young person who is likely to be most affected, who has views on whether or not this is the right approach to take. Let me know by emailing me at mike.penning.mp@parliament.uk
Contact Mike:
Web: www.penning4hemel.com
Email: mike.penning.mp@parliament.uk
Telephone: 01442 251126
