Proposed legislation to ban e-cigarettes in selected public places in Wales has been thrown out, after being defeated by one vote in the Welsh Assembly.
The legislation sought to restrict the use of nicotine products, including vaping devices, in certain spaces such as public eateries, schools and public transports, which would bring restrictions into line with those for traditional tobacco products. The bill, which also included plans to restrict tattooing and body piercing, has been rejected by health charities such as Cancer Research UK, who have shared their opinion on the proposed e-cigarette ban, “Evidence shows e-cigarettes – while not risk-free – are much safer than tobacco cigarettes and are mainly used by adult smokers to cut down or quit. There’s also a lack of evidence to back the fears that the use of e-cigarettes harms bystanders or encourages children to take up smoking – child smoking has continued to plummet since their entry to the market.”
However, Welsh Health and Social Services Ministers Mark Drakeford said that the failure of the legislation was a real blow “Today was… an opportunity to protect a generation who have grown up in a smoke-free environment from re-normalising smoking.”
Had the ban, described by The British Heart Foundation as “heavy-handed” been successful, it would have been the first of its kind to be introduced to the UK.
