Six new laws aiming to crackdown on "harmful" and "dangerous" cigarettes killing more than 120,000 Brits a year are coming into force.

Under the new rules small packs of rolling tobacco and menthol cigarettes will be banned outright. Packs of 10 cigarettes will also no longer be available from shops.

It comes after smokers were hammered with a government price hike that saw the cost of a premium 20 deck soar to £10.26.

The government gave shops a year to adjust after rolling out the new laws in May last year. Now the changes will come into full force from May 20, 2017.

Here are the six laws that smokers need to be aware of.

Ten decks of cigarettes will not be available to buy in shops;
All packets of rolling tobacco under 30g will disappear from shops;
The cheapest packet of fags will cost £8.82 from May 21;
Menthol cigarettes will be outlawed completely by 2020;
Plain cigarette packets with graphic images will be introduced;
Some flavoured tobacco will be made illegal.

The changes come as part of the latest attempt to drastically cut down cancer deaths. Health officials hope the increase in the cost of smoking will deter young people from taking up the habit. But cigarette makers have slammed the tax hike.

Giles Roca, TMA director general, said: "We are disappointed that the Government has once again raised taxation on tobacco when tax on some of the cheapest cigarettes already accounts for 90 per cent of the price.

"Today's move will simply encourage people to buy from the black market. It takes business away from the legitimate trade whilst costing the taxpayer around £2.4billion in lost taxes in the last year alone."

Speaking to Daily Star Online yesterday, John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "Millions of pounds of taxpayers' money have gone into raising awareness around the health risks related to cigarettes.

"To slap more tax on them will hit the poorest hardest.

"Smokers already put more into the NHS in taxes than is spent on treating smoking related diseases, so this is just another way for the Chancellor to raise more cash at the expense of an already highly-taxed group."

"packet of fags"...

I go to myblocal haunt bar here and it is smoking. Pisses everyone off when non smokers come in and whine

none here in Houston... the local democrats took over a few years ago, like they did Dallas..

I see both sides. Governments should be careful the behaviors they encourage, support or promote, especially those proven harmful. It is the basis for most of our illicit drug laws.


However, criminalizing what people choose to do to themselves, often times does create MORE crime by requiring an 'underground' or illicit market to service those customers,,,

well, i'll say most everything they are saying is mostly true, except about the second hand smoke... people that don't like it can always get away from the smokers, but it seems easier to push people around and try to make them conform to the liberal standards...

Dallas had Laura Miller ashtrays...got one lol. It is hit or miss here. But don't go to a smoker bar and whine. In Texas, you will be run out

I believe second-hand smoke is a legitimate concern. I do not think people should have to 'get away' in any situation where they have paid their money to enjoy themselves, like theaters or restaurants, etc,,

those places should have designated 'smoking' areas where that smoke is cut off from those who don't want to be exposed.


I also don't think public places that families and their children go should place the burden on those families to 'get away' from others potentially causing harm to their kids who are out getting 'fresh air'.

It seems the reasonable and uncomplicated compromise would be to designate areas as smoking or non-smoking and construct them accordingly.

Children can't always get away from second-hand smoke.

I am a smoker. I respect non-smokers but it isn't the way the other way around. I will smoke in a parking lot away from others. If they come to me...that is their stupidity. Smoking bars here do great because we don't need whiners even when they com in and wg8ne about smoke

i personally feel it should be up to the bar owners on whether they want smoking or not... it's their customers, and should be their choice to make money or not... but on a side note, before i quit, cigarettes anyway, i really didn't like sitting in a smoke filled room... with cigarette smoke.. other smoke is ok...

I agree. It should be up to the ownera

Anyone got a lite?

Yea, she's the main reason left Dallas.. she screwed up that deal to bring the new cowboy stadium to fair park... But the main street pub in Richardson still allowed smoking, at least 7 years ago it did...

Yep...people would pass bars and go across the street to others because is was over the city line. Wonder what happened to my ashtray