The road to a smokefree UK: MLAs in Northern Ireland vote in favour of Tobacco and Vapes Bill

Today marks an important and exciting day for our Smokefree UK campaign, with Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) voting in favour of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the Northern Ireland Legislative Consent Motion. This marks a significant step towards ending cancers caused by smoking and creating Northern Ireland’s first ever smokefree generation. 

The Bill is currently going through the Westminster legislative process, and as health is a devolved matter, each devolved legislature votes on whether they consent to pass the Bill in their own nation, through a Legislative Consent Motion (LCM). 

Today’s vote saw MLAs from across the political spectrum come together to support the Bill, which will help protect future generations from the significant harm caused by tobacco.   

Cancer Research UK was joined by members of the Northern Ireland Cancer Charities Coalition, including Cancer Focus, Macmillan, Action Cancer and Friends of the Cancer Centre to support the Bill.

Paving the way for a smokefree UK

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will progressively raise the age of sale of tobacco, which means that people born on or after 1 January 2009 will never legally be sold tobacco in their lifetime – paving the way for the first ever smokefree generation. This represents one of the biggest opportunities in over a decade to prevent cancer.  

We want to see this Bill implemented in every UK nation and today marks an important milestone in making that a reality.  

Over the past several years we’ve been campaigning tirelessly with our supporters calling for legislation to help protect people from the significant harm caused by tobacco.  

In May 2024, after the first iteration of the Bill had been introduced to Westminster, our campaigners helped secure a positive vote for the first LCM for the Bill in Northern Ireland. However, the snap general election meant we had to wait for a new Tobacco and Vapes Bill to be introduced by the new UK Government, and a second LCM to take place.  

We continued to campaign with our dedicated supporters, who showed their support by contacting their MLAs, resulting in the LCM passing a second time. 

Building a healthier future 

Tobacco causes at least 16 different types of cancer and is the biggest cause of cancer and death in Northern Ireland. Smoking kills around 1,800 people each year in Northern Ireland, that’s 1 person every 5 hours. It is also one of the primary causes of health inequalities, with smoking prevalence rates higher among people living in more deprived areas.   

Bringing an end to smoking related cancers will be a significant step forwards in our collective effort to tackle the biggest cause of cancer in the UK. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will help build a healthier future, prevent cancer, and protect people from a lifetime of this deadly and costly addiction.  Tobacco is the only consumer product that kills two thirds of its users.