Boris Johnson has said it is “mad” that Winston Churchill’s party is working toward “banning cigars”.

At the Canada Strong and Free conference in Ottawa, Boris said the government's smoke-free plans are “absolutely nuts.”

The ‘Tobacco and Vapes Bill’, which was introduced to Parliament in March 2024, proposes prohibiting any child 15 years old or under from ever legally being sold tobacco.

On the announcement of the bill, Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, said, “If we want to build a better future for our children we need to tackle the single biggest entirely preventable cause of ill health, disability and death: smoking.

“That is why, alongside new measures to curb the alarming rise in youth vaping, we are delivering on our commitment to create a smokefree generation and stop our kids from getting hooked on harmful cigarettes and other nicotine products.

“This important change will save thousands of lives and billions of pounds for our NHS, freeing up new resource than can be spent to improve outcomes for patients right across the UK.”

According to The Guardian, Boris said to the panel, “When I look at some of the things we are doing now, or that are being done in the name of conservatism, I think they’re absolutely nuts.

“We’re banning cigars. What is the point of banning – the party of Winston Churchill wants to ban cigars … Donnez moi un break, as they say in Quebec. It’s just mad.”

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