British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced his commitment to introducing legislation aimed at reducing tobacco use, asserting that there is “no safe level of smoking.”
In his keynote address at the annual conference of the Conservative Party, Sunak proposed a plan to incrementally raise the legal smoking age. He explained, “I propose that in the future, we raise the smoking age by one year every year. That means a 14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette, and that they and their generation can grow up smoke-free.”
Under Sunak’s proposal, it would be unlawful to sell tobacco products to individuals born on or after January 1, 2009. This effectively means that the smoking age would increase by one year annually until it applies to the entire population. A statement from Sunak’s Downing Street office described this move as “historic” and noted that it had the potential to significantly reduce smoking in young people, possibly eliminating it among them as early as 2040.
The statement also mentioned the government’s intention to implement measures to restrict vaping among young people. This could include regulations on disposable vapes and the oversight of flavors and packaging to reduce their appeal to children.