After two weeks abroad with the Inter Parliamentary Union Assembly in Geneva (400 parliamentarians from 120 countries setting the world to rights), and then with a group of European parliamentarians in Taiwan discussing issues such as security co-operation, it has been back to the House of Lords this week.
On Monday, I was working on the Tobacco and Vaping Bill aimed at preventing new generations taking up smoking.
The Government has accepted something I was pressing for in the 2022 Health Bill. Cigarette packets will in future include inserts providing advice and links to smoking cessation services.
I am continuing to press for health warnings to be printed on individual cigarettes. Too many young people take up smoking when offered a cigarette out of somebody else’s packet. Canada has found that warnings on individual cigarette papers are an effective deterrent to taking up smoking and help people to quit. I want us to follow their example and I found strong support including possibly from the Minister.
I also argued for all filters (not just plastic ones) to be removed from cigarettes. The tobacco industry set out to deceive their customers (half of whom will have their life shortened by the habit) that cigarettes with filters are somehow safer. They are not and the filters cause litter in many places that need cleaning up.
