Wales’ leading tobacco control charity is today calling on all parties contesting the Senedd election to set out how they will deliver a Smokefree Wales, as the Tobacco and Vapes Act receives Royal Assent and becomes law. As this landmark legislation is passed, ASH Wales warns around 10 people die everyday from smoking in Wales.
This legislation is the most significant tobacco control measure in a generation. It will make it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, and introduces new powers to regulate vaping products, including restricting marketing designed to appeal to children. ASH Wales says the law must now be backed by sustained investment in enforcement and cessation support if it is to deliver in practice for communities across Wales.
The charity warns that while today marks an historic moment for public health, 260,000 people in Wales still smoke and will not be reached by the new legislation. The harm caused by smoking is not spread evenly, it falls hardest on the most deprived communities in Wales, where smoking rates are highest and access to cessation support is often weakest. With voters going to the polls next week, ASH Wales says the election is a critical opportunity to secure the political commitments needed to turn the law into lasting change.
Suzanne Cass, Chief Executive of ASH Wales, said:
“Today is a truly landmark moment for public health in Wales. A generation of young people will never be sold tobacco, and children will be protected from vapes deliberately designed to appeal to them. We should be proud of what has been achieved.
“But 260,000 people in Wales still smoke today and this law does not reach them. Landmark legislation is only as powerful as the enforcement and investment behind it. We are calling on every party contesting this election to tell the people of Wales what they will do to make a smokefree future a reality for everyone.
“It is no longer a question of if smoking will end in Wales, but when. The next Welsh Government has an historic opportunity to answer that question.”
