Royal College of Physicians welcomes the Tobacco and Vapes Bill passing second reading in the House of Commons

Professor Sanjay Agrawal, special adviser on tobacco at the Royal College of Physicians, said: 

'The progression of the Tobacco and Vapes bill past second reading is a welcome and crucial step towards the eradication of the single largest preventable cause of death in the UK, while directly tackling the alarming rise in youth vaping. 

‘It is now time for policy makers to focus on refining and strengthening the bill in ways that will deliver the best possible health outcomes for the public. It is essential that we have balanced, evidenced-based regulation to empower adult smokers to access vapes as a valuable tool for quitting tobacco smoking, while also implementing robust measures to prevent uptake in vaping among young people.

'We will continue to work with policy makers and parliamentarians to ensure that the powers set out in the legislation can be deployed to realise the full ambitions of reducing long-term health impacts for millions, eliminating significant future demands on our health service and create a healthier, more productive society.'