Concerns Over Exemption for Cigars and Shisha Pipes

A group of twelve Conservative Members of Parliament are threatening to rebel against the Prime Minister's smoking ban proposal, unless cigars are exempted. Chancellor Rishi Sunak's plan is to gradually phase out smoking by increasing the legal age to buy tobacco by one year each year, starting from 2027. This means that anyone born after January 1, 2009, currently 14 years old, will never be legally allowed to smoke.

However, this group of rebel MPs, which includes former ministers, is urging the Department of Health to protect the £800 million UK cigar import market. The cigar industry contributed £141 million in tax revenue last year. There are also concerns about the potential impact on Middle Eastern restaurants if shisha pipes are outlawed.

A source within the Department of Health revealed that the number of MPs expressing private concerns about the smoking ban is much higher than those publicly criticizing the policy.

The Government is currently seeking public input on the proposal through a consultation process, which is set to conclude early next month.

Smokers group Forest, led by Simon Clark, has warned against creating a "two-tier" system and argues that the entire smoking ban policy should be abandoned, allowing individuals to choose whether to smoke or not.