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UK Smoking Ban Battle: Public Unmoved, Politicians Fan the Flames

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United Kingdom

Not long ago, British politician Nigel Farage lit a cigarette outside a bar in London. While it wasn’t the first time he was caught smoking, this act seemed more like a political statement. He told reporters, “Smokers can be considered national heroes when it comes to paying taxes.”

Smoking Ban for Gardens and Hotels

The UK government is set to revise the 2007 indoor smoking ban for the first time, extending it to gardens, hotels, and other spaces. While the policy details are yet to be finalized, the UK Health Secretary has hinted that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is seriously considering the proposal, without outright rejecting it. Farage, who has advocated for relaxing indoor smoking restrictions and recently joined Parliament, strongly opposed the idea, claiming he would stop going to pubs altogether if the proposal passes.

For a long time, the UK has been a global “model student” in regulating tobacco products, with little domestic opposition. Now, the UK is set to intensify regulations, limiting both the purchase and use of tobacco products, and most of the British public supports these moves. Farage’s attempt to stir controversy is framed as a fight against experts and authority in the name of the public, although it is far from legitimate. British elite politics has often been embroiled in such fringe issues, with right-wing politicians like Farage aiming to challenge the ruling party by undermining societal consensus.

Tobacco as a Political Battleground

Tobacco regulation in the UK dates back to the 1960s when British scientists linked smoking to lung cancer. However, during WWII, tobacco companies rose to prominence with a “patriotic image,” as buying cigarettes was seen as contributing to the war effort. The government aired anti-smoking ads on television, but they had limited effect. “Tobacco was more seen as a product that provided taxes, export profits, and jobs, with health concerns being secondary.”

However, the latest situation has changed over time. In 2007, then-Prime Minister Tony Blair issued a smoking ban for indoor spaces. At the time, the Labour Party believed the ban should exclude some pubs. Last year, then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak introduced a policy banning anyone born after 2009 from smoking, framing it as a civic duty and an essential measure to reduce the burden on public health services.

This move received support from many Conservative Party members, though a minority of dissenting voices also emerged. A similar policy was introduced in New Zealand recently and was supported by most of the public. However, in the end, the New Zealand government scrapped the policy as part of a deal to win the support of minority parties, arguing that the tobacco industry also contributes to tax revenues. Figures like Farage may be considering using a similar argument to push their agenda. The key difference between the two countries is that UK voters appear to be more concerned about smoking bans than their government. Some reports suggest that the smoking ban issue is one of the areas where UK politicians are out of touch with the public.

However, when Sunak officially pushed the ban, there was significant opposition from the right. Some critics were long-time smokers, others accused the government of implementing “smoking apartheid,” while still others argued that the policy violated the principle of “my body, my choice.” Although the ban had not been fully implemented before the general election, the Labour government also supports the policy. Starmer believes that a smoking ban could save costs for the National Health Service (NHS).

Smoking as a Cultural Issue

While the public does not generally believe that smoking will become a major cultural issue, New Zealand’s experience suggests that even if the majority supports the ban, it is not immune to populist attacks. Although the British public may not be inclined to make a big deal out of tobacco, figures like Farage are attempting to use the smoking ban to fuel controversy. The growing influence of reformist forces in Parliament is set to impact the Conservative Party. The Conservatives are now leaning more toward right-wing forces, and Farage and his allies are inevitably at the heart of this political chaos. While many Conservatives support Sunak’s smoking ban, two of the party’s top contenders, Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch, voted against it.

Jenrick opposed the proposal to ban smoking in gardens and pubs, calling it “nonsense” that would harm the service industry. The Conservative Party criticized the proposal on social media as a form of “social control.” If right-wing media start to target Starmer using the smoking ban, the issue is sure to escalate. Starmer is already embroiled in scandals, urging the public to make sacrifices while allegedly accepting bribes, and his approval rating has been in decline. The smoking ban issue could become a key test of whether he can deliver on his political promises.

Even though not all Brits are smokers, Farage is hoping to use this issue to stir up public sentiment against the authorities. In any case, his influence is like a cigarette that refuses to go out, lingering over the UK’s political stage for some time to come.

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