Send prohibition packing
I’m posting, in full, the latest Forest e-newsletter that was sent to subscribers this morning. Do please read it and submit your views to the current public consultation on smoking and vaping in public places.
Yesterday the Tobacco and Vapes Bill finally cleared parliament and now awaits Royal Assent.
The flagship policy, which will be introduced next year, is the ban on the sale of tobacco products to all future generations of adults. However, the new act also gives government the power to introduce further restrictions on smoking and vaping, hence the current public consultation (Smoke-free, heated tobacco-free and vape-free places in England).
Specifically, the Government is seeking views on proposals to (a) extend the smoking ban to certain outdoor public spaces, and (b) prohibit the use of vapes and heated tobacco in all indoor places where smoking is currently banned.
The former includes a ban on smoking outside every hospital in England, a policy we have always believed to be excessive and, arguably, inhumane. But it also begs the question 'What next?' because we know it won't end with hospitals or even schools. It never does. If you're an anti-smoking fanatic, parks, beaches and other spaces where children might conceivably be present will always offer the next 'logical' step. And after that?
As for vaping, the Government's preferred option is to bring restrictions into line with smoking. The consultation doesn't specify exact locations. Instead it asks: 'Do you agree or disagree with our proposal that all indoor places that are currently smoke-free should also become vape-free?'. But the meaning is clear. The Government wants to ban vaping in all enclosed public places, and that means every workplace including pubs, cafes and bars.
Neither proposal, in our view, makes much sense. There is no credible evidence that smoking outside in the open air represents a significant risk to the health of non-smokers, including children. Likewise, there is currently no credible evidence that secondhand e-cigarette vapour is harmful. So why ban vaping in indoor public places?
Put simply, this is not a matter for government. As should have been the case with smoking, employers (including licensees) must be allowed to choose a policy on vaping that best suits their business. Instead, what is being proposed is classic government overreach and must be challenged because where will it end?
Although Forest's principal role is to defend the interests of confirmed smokers (ie adults who enjoy smoking and don't wish to quit), we recognise that many smokers are dual users who also vape, either because they're trying to stop smoking, or because vaping is their preferred alternative in places where smoking is banned.
Either way, we are opposed to excessive regulations that will infantilise future generations of adults and impose unnecessary and unfair restrictions on consumers and the hospitality industry. We urge you therefore to join us and oppose these proposals.
Please note that the public consultation is in the form of an online survey that can be completed in a few minutes. The closing date is Friday 8th May 2026 but we urge you to have your say TODAY and send prohibition packing.
Click on the image below and act NOW.
