Earlier this year, the debate around smoking was reignited, with policymakers and civil society revisiting how to tackle cigarettes once and for all. The previous government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which has support from the current administration, proposed a “generation ban.” This plan would gradually raise the minimum age for purchasing tobacco by one year, every year, starting in 2027, until no one in the UK could buy tobacco products.
But in fact, smoking among 18-24-year-olds has been declining1 rapidly, and if this trend continues, this age group could be “smoke-free” (less than 5% smokers) by 2028, just a year after the proposed generation ban begins.
There are 6.4 million reasons to rethink our approach to tobacco legislation
Meanwhile, the initial Tobacco and Vapes Bill turned a blind eye to the 6.4 million adult smokers in the UK2 who still need help in leaving cigarettes behind. This is where our focus should be.
You might wonder why Philip Morris International (PMI) is involved in this conversation. My answer is very simple: real change requires the involvement of manufacturers like PMI. We’re the only global tobacco company committed to phasing out cigarettes.
Thanks to innovation from manufacturers and government support, viable smoke-free alternatives like vapes have made a significant dent in smoking rates. However, their impact appears to be plateauing — although 74% of smokers have tried vaping, only 32% of these are current vapers, according to ASH’s latest report3. We understand that no single smoke-free product will work for all smokers, which is why embracing the full range of better alternatives is crucial. Unfortunately, too many adult smokers remain unaware of the options outside of vapes. They can’t access them or are confused by false or misleading information — evidenced by ASH’s report showing that 50% of smokers believe vaping is just as harmful as smoking4.
That’s why, today more than ever, decisive action is needed. Leaders should base laws and regulations on facts and data, keeping pace with technological change and innovation.
We are not asking stakeholders to trust us. We are asking them to trust the science and look at the data behind these smoke-free products.
Cigarettes, as the most harmful form of nicotine consumption, should not be equated with less harmful smoke-free products. What’s needed is a clear, evidence-led strategy that levels the regulatory playing field between the various types of smoke-free products (e-cigarettes, heated tobacco, oral nicotine) and which clearly distinguishes them from traditional cigarettes.
Transparency and inclusion are at the core of modern policymaking, and tobacco control should be no exception, especially given its profound impact on public health.
A smoke-free UK is the public health opportunity of the century, but for the good of the 6.4 million existing UK smokers, it’s time to remove the politics from the debate and work together to give them a chance. And to do that, we must give them a choice.
If you would like to discuss this topic further, please send an email to Duncan.Cunningham@pmi.com
1. Adult smoking habits in the UK: 2022 ONS (ons.gov.uk)
2. Ibid
3. Use-of-vapes-among-adults-in-Great-Britain-2024.pdf (ash.org.uk)
4. Ibid