infoJustice

QUT Media
4th November 2025

The United Kingdom Parliament is considering a bill aimed at making smoking obsolete, which has been endorsed in a report by long-time tobacco endgame campaigner, QUT Professor Matthew Rimmer.

• Bill faces pushback from Big Tobacco which helped defeat UK’s previous smoke-free future attempts
• 1,200+ health authorities call for swift passage of bill by House of Lords
• If passed, it would stymie creation of a new nicotine generation via flavoured vapes

Sixth months after its second reading in the House of Commons, the House of Lords is scrutinising the Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024-25 (UK) in late October 2025, and early November 2025. More than 1,200 health leaders have endorsed a petition, calling for the swift passage of the bill through the House of Lords.

Professor of Intellectual Property and Innovation Law in QUT’s School of Law, Dr Matthew Rimmer  (pictured above) said the enhanced Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024-25 (UK) aimed to create smokefree generations, and stymie the efforts of tobacco interests to create a new generation of nicotine addicts via brightly coloured and flavoured vapes.

Professor Rimmer said the UK Bill had been endorsed by governments, MPs and health authorities of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to pave the way for a smoke and nicotine-free UK.

“All have noted the huge public health benefits of a nicotine endgame, particularly in the area of addressing longstanding health inequalities,” he said.

“An MP from Cheshire has stated that tobacco consumption is a primary driver of health inequalities across the country because in the ‘most deprived areas’ the mortality rate ascribed to smoking is more than double that in the least deprived areas.

“Among the environment impacts of smoking cited are discarded cigarette butts that pollute waterways and ecosystems; deforestation; and the use of fossil fuels to grow and transport tobacco across the world.”

Professor Rimmer said the Bill had and would face backlash from Big Tobacco through threats of litigation to politicians and ministers, lobbying and a ‘charm offensive’ that had recruited Conservative MPs

“The Guardian newspaper’s investigation of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s attempts to bring in a smoke-free future found Big Tobacco orchestrated submissions to various consultations and inquiries into the bill and funded pressure from right-wing thinktanks.

“However, like its predecessor the Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2023-24 (UK), the Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024-25 (UK) is justified and proportionate under the European Convention on Human Rights.

“Moreover, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024-25 (UK) enhances human rights – particularly the right to life, the right to health, children’s rights, as well as a number of other fundamental rights.”

Professor Rimmer’s report also recommended the Bill be further enhanced with the introduction of a new, wholesale, price cap-based polluter pays levy on tobacco products to address the environmental harms of the tobacco industry.

“The Bill prohibits the sale of tobacco to everyone born on or after 1 January 2009, and makes provisions on smoke-free places, vape-free places and heated tobacco-free places, information requirements for tobacco, vapes and other products and controls on the advertising and promotion of them,” Professor Rimmer said.

“The UK Bill mirrors New Zealand’s plan for a tobacco endgame with its Smokefree Environment and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act (2022) (NZ) which was the first in the world to provide a blueprint for generational limits on smoking to eventually phase out tobacco products altogether.

“Unfortunately, the incoming New Zealand conservative Coalition Government swiftly repealed the legislation through political compromise and interference from the tobacco industry.”

Professor Rimmer said the UK Government could draw upon Australia’s experience in tobacco control and vaping reforms.

“The Australian Government successfully defended plain packaging of tobacco products in the courts, investment tribunals and trade panels,” he said.

“Regrettably, however, our Public Health Act (2023) did not have a provision for a smokefree generations regime, but the Vaping Reforms Amendment Act (2024) (Aus) has further strengthened vaping and e-cigarettes.

“The Australian Government is monitoring the progress of the UK Bill to see whether it would be worthwhile to emulate some of its measures.”

The report follows separate submissions by Professor Rimmer to the Queensland Parliament on the forfeiture provisions of the Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (Qld), and the closure provisions of the Tobacco and Other Smoking Products (Dismantling Illegal Trade) and Other Legislation Bill 2025 (Qld).

Professor Rimmer’s Report is here.

QUT Media contacts:

NIki Widdowson 07 3138 2999 or n.widdowson@qut.edu.au

After hours: 0407 585 901 or media@qut.edu.au.

Niki Widdowson and Lauren Baxter, ‘QUT Professor Endorses UK Push To Create Smokefree Generations’, QUT Media, 4 November 2025, https://www.qut.edu.au/news?id=202356

Matthew Rimmer, ‘The United Kingdom Debate over the Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024–25 (UK)’, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Qld, 28 October 2025, https://eprints.qut.edu.au/260960/