Rishi Sunak has hit back at Liz Truss after his predecessor launched an attack on his plan to ban disposable vapes.
The prime minister said on Monday morning there was nothing “unconservative” about “caring about our children’s health”.
His comments were a direct rebuttal to Truss, who this morning said the government should “reverse this profoundly unconservative policy”.
According to the government, disposable vapes have been a key driver behind an “alarming” rise in youth vaping.
The proportion of 11 to 17-year-old vapers using disposables increasing almost ninefold in the last two years.
As well as disposable vapes being banned entirely, there will be new restrictions on vape flavours which are specifically marketed at children.
Manufacturers will be required to produce plainer “less visually appealing” packaging.
Shops will also have to change how vapes are displayed in shops so they are moved out of sight of children and away from products that appeal to them like sweets.
It comes on top of government plans to ban the sale of cigarettes to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009.
Speaking to broadcasters today, Sunak said: “I don’t think there’s anything unconservative about caring about our children’s health.”
He also indicated Tory MPs will be given a free vote on the planned phasing out of smoking.
“There’s been a long tradition in parliament of these being free votes which aren’t party political,” he said.
“But I think this is the right long term thing for our country. Smoking causes one in four cancer deaths.
“It’s responsible for a hospitalisation every minute. And if we don’t do something about it, hundreds of thousands of people will die in the coming years.”
Truss had said: While the state has a duty to protect children from harm, in a free society, adults must be able to make their own choices about their own lives.
“Banning the sale of tobacco products to anyone born in 2009 or later will create an absurd situation where adults enjoy different rights based on their birthdate.
“A Conservative government should not be seeking to extend the nanny state. This will only give succour to those who wish to ban further choices of which they don’t approve.
“The newly-elected National government in New Zealand is already reversing the generational tobacco ban proposed by the previous administration.
The government urgently needs to follow suit and reverse this profoundly unconservative policy.”