Save cigars UK call to action

[ha_banos]

https://savecigars.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/savecigars

With the looming all encompassing tobacco ban send a letter to your MP. There's a site setup to find and send a prepared letter linked above.

Of course they are lumping cigars in with cigarettes and vapes. Might help the tobacconists and the sampling lounges. And who knows what they'll cancel next?

Anyways. Spread the word. Send the email. Save cigars!

IMG_20210224_141052.jpg

[trying]

If people haven't already seen it there is also the existing campaign https://useyourvoice.uk/

Linked earlier in the year... https://www.ukcigarforums.com/forum/...bacco-products

Very poor response all round from what i gather sadly

[MrMaduro]

The 'Save Cigars' link is brilliant. A few clicks and the email to your local MP is prepared and you can send it immediately. Every single member on this site should be doing this!

It will take you no more than 2 minutes!

[mcdee]

The 'Save Cigars' link is brilliant. A few clicks and the email to your local MP is prepared and you can send it immediately. Every single member on this site should be doing this!

It will take you no more than 2 minutes!

Totally agree Dan. I just did exactly that via a link on a No6 Cavendish newsletter. It was so easy that even a techno dunce like myself managed it without any hassle.

[OtELos]

Got reply…

Thank you for writing to me on this matter and for sharing your views with me. I recently wrote to Ashley Dalton MP Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention in regards to this matter, please find the response below:

“This Government is committed to taking strong action to reduce the harms caused by tobacco and addiction. Smoking is the number one preventable cause of death, disability and ill health. It leads to around 80,000 deaths a year in the UK, including one in four of all cancer deaths. Combating smoking will reduce the burden on the taxpayer and on the economy. Smoking costs the economy £21.3billion a year. Smokers are less likely to be employed and more likely to be off sick. On 5 November, the Government introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which stands to be the most significant public health intervention in a generation, improving healthy life expectancy and reducing the number of lives lost to put us on track to a smoke-free UK. On 26 March, MPs voted in favour of advancing the Bill to the next Parliamentary stage and it has now entered the House of Lords. This Bill will create the first smoke-free generation so that children turning 16 this year or younger can never legally be sold tobacco. Whilst this will not stop anyone who currently legally smokes from being able to do so, it will apply to all tobacco products as there is no safe level of tobacco consumption, and all tobacco products are harmful. We know that the tobacco smoke from cigars leads to the same type of diseases as the smoke from cigarettes. The latest data suggests that there are around five times more people exclusively smoking non-cigarette tobacco (including cigars, pipes, shisha and cigarillos) in England now than there were a decade ago, with the greatest increase having been in young adults. The Department published an impact assessment (IA) relating to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill on 5 November. This included Small and Micro Business Assessments (SaMBAs) for the measures that are in the Bill. As noted in the IA, we are aware of a limited number of small and micro tobacco product manufacturers that are based in the UK, which mainly appear to produce a diverse range of specialist tobacconist products. We recognised in the IA that the policy may have an impact on these businesses, such as in the form of lost profits. However, as explained in the IA, this policy will apply to all tobacco products, not just cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco, to ensure that all young people are protected from the harms of tobacco. To achieve the aim and objectives of this policy it is not possible to exempt any tobacco manufacturers that are small businesses, even if they only manufacture specialist products. The IA for the smoke-free generation showed that the policy has an estimated net benefit to society of over £30billion over 30 years at 2024 prices. In addition, in England, the policy is estimated to lead to over 30,000 deaths being avoided by 2075. On 31 October, the Regulatory Policy Committee published an opinion on the IA and provided a 'fit for purpose' rating. This rating noted that the IA considers the impact upon small and micro businesses as part of the smoke-free generation policy. Modelling shows that creating a smoke-free generation is expected to help reduce smoking rates of 14-30-year-olds to near zero by 2050. Over the next 50 years it will save tens of thousands of lives and avoid up to 130,000 cases of lung cancer, stroke and heart disease. We must protect future generations from becoming addicted to nicotine, breaking the cycle of addiction and disadvantage and allowing them to live healthier lives. We are working closely with retailers and will utilise the long lead-in time to best support them in preparing for and implementing the changes being introduced by the Bill. Enforcing the smoke-free generation age of sale restriction will be no different from enforcing the existing age of sale restriction, and arguably more straightforward as the date of birth that needs to be checked by retail staff will remain the same for everyone (a check of whether someone is born on or after 1 January 2009), rather than needing to identify whether each individual is 18 years old. We will also develop guidance for retailers on all the changes in the Bill, and we will roll out information campaigns to the public to ensure the successful implementation of the new legislation. Everybody has a right to feel safe at work, and we will not stand for violence and abuse against shopworkers who will play a critical role in implementing these changes. That is why the Government will introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker, to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.”

I hope you find this response useful and thank you once again for taking the time to write to me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ha_banos]

I asked ai to put it into perspective. Leave my cigar smoking out of it. Feel free to send this back as a response!

📜 Policy Brief: Proportional Tobacco Regulation and Real Priorities for a Failing Social Contract
🧠 Executive Summary
This brief challenges the UK Government’s excessive focus on tobacco control—specifically the generational smoking ban and its indiscriminate application to low-risk products like premium cigars—while core societal institutions crumble.
We argue that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill represents a misallocation of political capital and enforcement resources. It is a distraction from far more pressing, widespread threats to public health, safety, and national cohesion, including dangerously rising wealth inequality, a weakening national financial position, and pervasive, often localised, government corruption.
⚠️ 1. Comparative Risk of Death: Tobacco vs Other Major UK Killers
| Cause of Death (UK) | Estimated Annual Deaths |
|---|---|
| Smoking (mostly cigarettes) | ~80,000 |
| Obesity-related diseases | ~30,000–35,000 |
| Alcohol-related diseases | ~10,000 |
| Dementia and Alzheimer’s | ~70,000 |
| Respiratory diseases (non-smoking) | ~30,000 |
| Drug-related deaths | ~4,800 |
| Suicide | ~6,000 |
| Cigar-only tobacco use | Likely <500 (est.) |
| Road accidents | ~1,800 |
| Violence / Homicide | ~700–800 |
> Tobacco-related deaths are overwhelmingly driven by addictive cigarette use, not by low-frequency, non-inhaled products like premium cigars. Applying blanket bans across all tobacco forms lacks scientific nuance and diverts attention from other epidemics like obesity, drugs, and mental illness.
>
💣 2. The Real Crisis: A Feral, Failing UK Social Landscape
While the government focuses on restricting aging cigar smokers, here’s what’s left unchecked:
🔹 Broken Policing & Criminal Justice
* Knife crime at all-time highs in urban areas.
* Gangs and drug violence spreading in small towns, including specific threats like Albanian gangs in North London and the pervasive issue of County Lines exploiting vulnerable youth.
* Police forces underfunded, demoralised, and often not investigating theft or burglary, with low prosecution rates for many crimes and ineffective rehabilitation programmes compounding the problem.
* A rise in sophisticated cybercrime and fraud, placing a massive financial and psychological burden on citizens and businesses, often with little recourse.
🔹 Mental Health Collapse
* Record levels of youth depression and anxiety.
* Suicides rising across all age groups.
* NHS mental health services backlogged by months or years.
🔹 Illegal Immigration & Border Failure
* Thousands arriving in small boats annually.
* Backlogs and failed removals costing taxpayers billions.
* Rising public disorder, with no accountability.
* The growing issue of human trafficking and modern slavery linked to organised crime.
🔹 Broken Housing & Rent Market
* Rents unaffordable for most working people.
* Homelessness, especially among women and families, rising.
* No significant investment in social or affordable housing.
🔹 Broken Public Infrastructure & Social Cohesion
* Potholes, crime, fly-tipping, and vermin plague public spaces.
* Trains unreliable. Buses cancelled. Roads under repair indefinitely.
* Councils going bankrupt, cutting essential services, a consequence of declining public trust and years of austerity measures eroding local amenities like youth centres and libraries.
* A visible increase in anti-social behaviour, including public urination, open drug use, and aggressive begging, contributing to a pervasive sense of insecurity and societal decline.
🔹 School System in Decline
* Persistent absenteeism (“ghost children”).
* Poor literacy and numeracy rates rising post-COVID.
* Escalating classroom violence and lack of support for teachers.
* Significant teacher shortages and concerns about curriculum relevance further impact educational outcomes.
🔹 Weakening National Finances & Rising Wealth Inequality
* The national debt continues to grow, placing long-term burdens on taxpayers and risking future economic stability.
* Rising household debt and increasing numbers of individuals facing financial vulnerability, pushing more people into reliance on high-cost credit or even illegal lending.
* Alarming wealth inequality continues to widen, with a disproportionate concentration of wealth at the top, leading to decreased social mobility and undermining the principle of a fair society.
* This inequality exacerbates the cost of living crisis, as those on lower incomes bear a heavier burden of inflation and essential goods, while the wealthy are shielded.
* The perceived lack of opportunity and high cost of living are contributing to a growing exodus of talent and skilled workers from the UK, impacting national productivity and tax revenues.
* Wealth inequality also deters domestic and foreign investment, as it signals economic instability, a shrinking consumer base for many businesses, and an unpredictable policy environment.
* Concerns over the long-term sustainability of public finances and pension systems, threatening future economic security for millions.
* The potential for systemic risks from an under-regulated financial sector or high government debt levels to trigger broader economic instability, impacting borrowing costs for households and businesses.
* Erosion of trust in financial institutions, exacerbated by a perception that the system disproportionately benefits the wealthy, further fracturing the social contract.
🔹 Government Inefficiency & Corruption
* Examples of localised corruption, particularly in areas like planning decisions, procurement, and social housing, leading to misallocation of public funds and a direct loss for taxpayers.
* A lack of accountability and transparency in local governance, fostering cronyism and undermining public faith in democratic processes.
* Allegations of conflicts of interest and a "revolving door" between government and private sectors at both local and national levels, creating an environment where private gain can supersede public interest.
* The impression that financial penalties or oversight for misconduct are weak, emboldening unethical behaviour within public office.
🌟 3. Misguided Focus: Tobacco Bill is Not a Priority
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill targets children not yet born and aims to criminalise the sale of a product that:
* Is already in long-term decline.
* Is overwhelmingly rejected by younger generations.
* Is tightly regulated and hidden from view.
Meanwhile, young men stab each other with machetes, police ignore property crime, millions are priced out of their homes, the nation's finances appear increasingly fragile, and public trust in government is undermined by allegations of corruption and widening economic disparity.
> Why criminalise cigar merchants when known gang members livestream weapons and cash on TikTok, or when local government officials face accusations of illicit dealings with public funds, and the very fabric of national prosperity is being eroded by unchecked inequality and debt?
>
🔄 4. What Should Be Done Instead?
🛠️ Rebuild functional civil society:
* Invest in youth services, apprenticeships, and school discipline.
* Boost community policing, with real enforcement against crime and a focus on disrupting organised crime networks like those involved in county lines and human trafficking.
* Re-open mental health centres and addiction support hubs.
* Restore funding for local amenities and community spaces that foster social cohesion.
* Implement robust anti-corruption measures, enhance transparency, and strengthen independent oversight within local and national government to restore public trust and ensure responsible use of public funds.
* Introduce targeted policies to address wealth inequality, ensuring a fairer distribution of economic opportunity and resources.
🧸 Tackle actual health crises:
* Mass campaigns against ultra-processed food and alcohol harm.
* Practical incentives to lose weight, walk more, sleep better.
* Expand access to health coaches, not just bans and taxes, and significantly reduce NHS waiting lists for essential treatments.
🏦 Restore faith in governance:
* End trivial policy distractions.
* Focus on housing, safety, education, the cost of living, and addressing the root causes of economic hardship and social fragmentation.
* Allow adults to make measured choices without nannying interference.
* Prioritise strengthening the UK's financial resilience and addressing systemic vulnerabilities to safeguard future prosperity.
* Implement fiscal policies that promote responsible national finances and address wealth disparities, making the UK a more attractive place for long-term investment and retaining its skilled workforce.
🗒️ Recommendation
* Amend the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to:
* Exempt premium cigars from generational bans and plain packaging.
* Recognise cigar smoking as low prevalence and low impact.
* Focus enforcement on high-risk, youth-targeted tobacco/vape products.
* Redirect public health focus toward:
* Food and obesity harm.
* Mental health crisis.
* Substance abuse.
* Addressing systemic failures in healthcare access and reducing economic hardship.
* Rebalance policy priorities to restore public order, housing, and health—issues that working people actually face every day, including tackling organised crime, improving public trust in institutions, rebuilding community resilience, and addressing the vulnerabilities of the financial system and the pervasive issue of government corruption.
* Crucially, develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to combat rising wealth inequality and strengthen national finances, reversing the exodus of talent and attracting long-term investment.
📣 Final Word
> The UK doesn’t need to outlaw 40-70-year-old’s once-a-week cigar — it needs to rebuild the nation’s broken institutions, enforce the rule of law, and treat citizens like adults, not addicts, while urgently addressing the profound challenges of economic inequality and national financial fragility.
>

[grumpybaldy]

Alas, I suspect no MP - with the possible exception of a few who like to be seen to protest the latest infrinegement of freedom of choice - will want to be seen to be standing against this, no matter how illogical and unreasonable it is.

[ha_banos]

Alas, I suspect no MP - with the possible exception of a few who like to be seen to protest the latest infrinegement of freedom of choice - will want to be seen to be standing against this, no matter how illogical and unreasonable it is.

Weird huh? You think they'd work for us. So they have to represent that some objection had been raised.