New smoking laws and cigarette ban to start in WEEKS - do you know the rules?
LAWS to crackdown on “harmful” and “dangerous” cigarettes killing more than 120,000 Britons a year are coming into force within weeks - but do you know what they are?
SHOCKING video shows effects smoking has on your lungs
Six new rules will see small packs of rolling tobacco and menthol cigarette banned outright.
Smokers will no longer be able to buy packs of 10 cigarettes from shops.
Officials hope that by taking away smaller packers, people will think twice about coughing up £9 for the cheapest 20 packs.
Smoking bans will be introduced in May
The laws hope to encourage people to quit smoking
Cigarettes are already expensive ad the price increase of cigarettes is a key factor in making people quit smoking
The laws will come into force on May 20, almost a decade after the original smoking ban.
The new rules were actually introduced back in May last year, but shops and suppliers were given a year to get rid of old stock.
The rules you need to look out for:
- Ten decks of cigarettes will be banned
- Smaller bags containing less than 30g of tobacco will disappear from shops
- The cheapest packet of fags will cost you £8.82 from May 2
- Packets of cigarettes will be plain alongside graphic images showing the impact that tobacco has on health
- Menthol cigarettes will be gradually phased out by 2020
- Some flavoured cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco, including, alcohol, candy, spice, herbs and fruit, will be made illegal
The price of a packet of fags has gone up again
The new laws have been introduced in a bid to cut smoking-related deaths and deter young people from smoking.
Amanda Sandford, from charity Action on Smoking and Health, said: “Cigarettes are already expensive ad the price increase of cigarettes is a key factor in making people quit smoking.
“So by removing the packet of ten cigarettes this means people will have to find the extra money for a packet. It will hit poorer smokers harder, who are usually younger smokers.”
Charities hope high prices will turn young people against smoking
She told the Hull Daily Mail: “Paying £3 or £4 for a packet of ten cigarettes at the moment might not seem so much to people and still leave them with change in their pockets.
“But you when you have to spend £6 to £7, even £9, people may think ‘Do I really need this packet?’”.