In Detail, In Brief: The Tobacco and Vapes Act

The tobacco industry was hugely significant in the industrial history of south Bristol, photo courtesy https://tobaccofactory.com/history/

The fourth largest tobacco company in the world is still based on Winterstoke Road, and thousands of local people used to work at the W.D. & H.O. Wills factories in Bedminster and Hartcliffe. The physical legacy is clear to see, including the Tobacco Factory venue, apartments at Lakeshore, and the, now closed, banks needed for the huge payroll on Bedminster Parade.

Sadly, the human cost of the tobacco industry is still also with present in the constituency, with higher rates of smoking then elsewhere in England.

Smoking causes 35% of deaths due to respiratory disease and a quarter of cancer deaths. The NHS estimates that s fifth of all men who die after the age of 35 do so because they smoke.

All of these are avoidable.

It is twenty years since the landmark Health Act 2006, which led to the ban on smoking in all enclosed public spaces and workplaces. The ban itself started on 1 July 2007 and the number of people who smoke in England has subsequently halved from 24% to under 12%.

It was a hugely controversial step by the last Labour government and looking back, it seems extraordinary that smoking was permitted on buses, in cinemas and elsewhere. It was unpleasant for non-smokers, who were subjected to more than 4,000 irritants, toxins and cancer-causing substances. This was especially harmful for children as they have less well-developed airways, lungs and immune systems.

The new Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 received Royal Assent on April 29 and it makes it illegal for anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 to ever legal purchase tobacco products. In addition, advertising for all nicotine products, including vapes and pouches, will soon be banned.

A smoke-free generation is now within reach, and this government is determined to deliver a healthier, fairer future for everyone.