I write on behalf of the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) to encourage you not to proceed with the proposal to ban the sale of tobacco and/or nicotine-containing products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, as per the proposal in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill that is currently under review in the House of Lords — the “Generation Ban.”
PPI was established in 1989 as a center for pragmatic policy solutions and we have a long history of working globally to share best practices with policymakers. We are proud of the work we did in the 1990s on the “Third Way” with President Clinton and Prime Minister Tony Blair — the tradition of Democrats and Labour sharing ideas continues today with the work of our two UK-based experts from Labour.
One of the key healthcare policy ideas we have embraced at PPI is the goal of ending the use of traditional combustible cigarettes. With the right policy, this is something we can achieve in the next 10 years.
While we fully support efforts to reduce the harm caused by tobacco use, the most harmful way to consume nicotine is by smoking. Policies should continue to reduce the demand for smoked tobacco products by discouraging smoking and encouraging smoking cessation. We also know that allowing less harmful alternatives to smoking to remain available can play a major role in reducing smoking prevalence and eventually eliminating smoking. The UK Department of Health has been a leader in the strategy of Tobacco Harm Reduction, and we recommend that this leadership continue.
