We’ve got some bad news for smokers today – all packets of rolling tobacco under 30g and ten packs of menthol ciggies will be banned from all UK shops on May 21st 2017.
Images VIA
On top of this, menthol cigarettes will be outlawed completely by 2020. The European Union has said that it backs the ban and is hoping that the move will help cut smoking.
I’m not sure if this approach really works – many of the shops have already banned small rolling pouches and all that’s happened is that my smoker friends are spending more money.
At the moment 30g of tobacco costs about a tenner compared to about three quid for a smaller pouch. Meanwhile 20 packs of menthols are more than £7. This comes after Chancellor Philip Hammond increased the price of 20 packs by 35p and rolling tobacco by 44p.
A spokesperson for Action on Smoking and Health – which campaigns for greater restrictions on tobacco sales – said:
It will hit poorer and younger smokers harder who are more likely to buy smaller packs.
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 when you have to spend £6/£7 even £9 people may think: ‘do I really need this packet?’
Well when you put it like that, I guess that makes sense. But as said, so far it just seems to lead to people spending more money.
I guess now ever more people will turn to vaping. Good for the health, bad for everything else.
