The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, a Conservative-era policy repackaged by the new Labour government, has drawn sharp criticism from Baroness Fox of Buckley, who revealed her personal success story of quitting smoking through flavoured disposable vapes.
Speaking at a House of Lords debate on the Bill on Wednesday, the crossbench peer, who described herself as "once the proud winner of the smoker of the year award," shared how she successfully quit her 40-year smoking habit.
"I quit smoking 18 months ago after 40 years of chain-smoking. It was tough, but, advised by no less than two doctors, I tried disposable vapes. Banana and strawberry worked a treat, and now I am smoke-free," she told the Lords.
However, rather than celebrating this success, Baroness Fox expressed concern that the new legislation would undermine such smoking cessation breakthroughs. "Now I live in dread of 1 June and an outright ban and I am stocking up," she said, referring to the upcoming ban on the sales and supply of disposable vapes.
The Baroness delivered a wide-ranging critique of the Bill, which would create a generational tobacco ban, preventing anyone born after January 1, 2009 from legally purchasing tobacco products. She questioned the practicality of the ban, noting that "the Bill's own impact assessment admits that there are no international case studies to follow. This is all a gamble, based on academic modelling."
She also highlighted international precedents where similar approaches had failed. "Has the Minister read the document from Trading Standards Wales that challenges the efficacy of such an 'aggressive prohibitionist approach', noting that the New Zealand Government abandoned its version as unenforceable?" she asked.
Baroness Fox of BuckleyUK Parliament
Baroness Fox raised concerns about potential discrimination, questioning, "How would it be different in the UK if a future 40-year-old will be legally able to buy cigarettes whereas his 39-year-old sister will be criminalised if she does the same? How is that not discriminatory?"
The peer was particularly critical of the Bill's approach to vaping, arguing that it irrationally treats vaping "as a threat" rather than "seeing vaping as an opportunity" despite the "unambiguous evidence that they actually work and have enabled millions to quit."
She challenged the government's focus on banning flavoured vapes, questioning, "Does the Minister really believe that only children like sweet things? Has she not noticed the exponential rise in the flavoured gin market for adults?" She cited research showing "65 per cent of adult vapers find fruit and sweet liquids preferable—ironically, often because of the perceived difference to the tobacco they are quitting."
The Baroness warned about potential unintended consequences, citing evidence that "four in 10 vapers say that if there are no flavoured vapes, they will return to smoking" and that "in America, in 375 localities that adopted permanent restriction on vape flavours, the results were increased sales in cigarettes."
She also raised concerns about shop worker safety, highlighting the British Retail Consortium crime survey that revealed "130,000 instances of shop workers being verbally and physically assaulted every day in 2024" with "a significant number of these attacks followed requests for age verification."
"There is unanimous agreement among retailers that a law which will force staff of convenience stores at the heart of our local communities to increase proof-of-age ID checks on tobacco buyers of any age will trigger a huge escalation of violence and abuse," she warned.
As the Tobacco and Vapes Bill progresses through Parliament, Baroness Fox called for careful consideration of "massive costs for many people" during the Committee stage.
During the debate, several members from across the political spectrum criticised the bill for being philosophically flawed, operationally unworkable, economically damaging, and a likely trigger for the growth of the illegal tobacco trade
