By Ben Kerrigan –
British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has unveiled a bold plan to combat smoking by pledging to raise the legal age for purchasing cigarettes in England by one year every year.
The commendable initiative was introduced as part of a broader crackdown on smoking, with the aim of creating a generation that grows up smoke-free.
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Sunak revealed his proposal during the annual Tory party conference, emphasizing that the changes would only apply to individuals who have not yet started smoking. “It would not be fair to take away the rights of anyone to smoke who currently does,” he stated.
Under the plan, the legal smoking age will incrementally rise each year, preventing young people from legally purchasing cigarettes.
Sunak stressed that the primary objective is to prevent teenagers from taking up smoking in the first place.
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He stated the fact that approximately four in five smokers start before the age of 20, leading to a lifelong addiction that often ends in failed attempts to quit.
“People take up cigarettes when they’re young, and later, the vast majority try to quit. But many fail because they’re addicted and wish they had never taken up the habit in the first place,” Sunak noted.
The move is expected to have a profound impact on public health, potentially reducing the number of smokers in the UK by up to 1.7 million by 2075, according to Downing Street.
Smoking remains one of the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the UK, causing approximately one in five cancer cases and over one in four cancer-related deaths each year. With nearly six million people in England still smoking, the social and economic costs of tobacco use are substantial.
A review commissioned by the government in 2019 and led by Dr. Javed Khan proposed increasing the legal age for purchasing tobacco products as a means to achieve a smoke-free England by 2030.
Dr. Khan at the time recommended a phased approach, raising the age of sale by one year each year until no one under the legal age can buy tobacco.
Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, praised Sunak’s move, calling it a “critical step on the road to creating the first-ever smoke-free generation.”
However, not everyone supports Sunak’s plan.
Simon Clark, director of the smokers’ group Forest, criticized the move as “creeping prohibition” and argued that it wouldn’t deter young people from smoking. He suggested that those who still want to smoke would either buy tobacco abroad or from illicit sources.
Sunak’s announcement reflects a significant step forward in the fight against smoking in the UK, aligning with the government’s broader efforts to improve public health and reduce the burden of tobacco-related diseases.
The proposed legislation is expected to face parliamentary scrutiny, but it will be a free vote, allowing MPs to exercise their individual judgment on this matter of conscience, much like previous decisions related to smoking regulations.
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