While addressing the nation, the King introduced two landmark bills, the Mental Health Bill and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill
These legislative initiatives mark a decisive step towards improving public health and extending healthy life expectancy across the country. The reforms aim to modernise mental health care and combat the leading causes of death, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases, by instituting progressive measures in mental health treatment and tobacco control.
The mental health bill
The Mental Health Bill looks to rebuild the outdated Mental Health Act of 1983, incorporating recommendations from Professor Sir Simon Wessely’s 2017 review.
This bill promises sweeping reforms to place patients at the centre of treatment decisions, emphasising dignity, respect, and patient autonomy.
Key provisions include revising detention criteria to ensure individuals can only be detained if they pose a serious risk to themselves or others and if treatment would have a therapeutic benefit. The bill also mandates shorter detention periods, more frequent reviews, and improved appeals processes.
The Mental Health Bill aims to limit the use of detention for individuals with learning disabilities and autism, promoting community-based support services instead. It introduces a new statutory role, the nominated person, chosen by the patient to advocate on their behalf, and expands access to Independent Mental Health Advocates. The bill also eliminates the use of police stations and prisons as places of safety during mental health crises, advocating for more therapeutic settings.
Tobacco and vapes bill
Meanwhile, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill aligns with the government’s manifesto commitment to foster a smoke-free UK. It introduces a progressive smoking ban that will eventually prohibit the sale of tobacco products, including herbal smoking products and cigarette papers. Children born on or after January 1, 2009, will never be able to legally purchase cigarettes, aiming to prevent the next generation from becoming addicted to nicotine.
The bill also targets the marketing of vapes and other nicotine products, prohibiting branding and advertising designed to appeal to children. By regulating the flavours, packaging, and display of vapes and nicotine pouches, the bill ensures these products are used primarily as tools to help smokers quit.
Enhanced enforcement powers for Trading Standards will help prevent underage sales of tobacco and vaping products.
The impact of smoking
Smoking is a major public health issue, responsible for 80,000 deaths annually in the UK and contributing to a wide range of health conditions, including cancer, strokes, heart disease, and asthma. It also exacerbates socioeconomic and geographic health inequalities, driving 230,000 households into smoking-induced poverty. The financial burden on the NHS is substantial, with smoking-related healthcare costs amounting to £1.9 billion annually.
These reforms are crucial in addressing public health challenges and promoting a healthier future. The Mental Health Bill and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill represent significant steps in modernising healthcare and preventing nicotine addiction among future generations.
