Yahoo News Should the UK introduce a young smoking ban? Let us know your thoughts in our poll
MPs are set to debate and vote on Government plans to stop youngsters ever buying a packet of cigarettes across the UK today (April 16), in a move which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hopes will 'stamp out smoking for good'. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born after January 1, 2009 - covering children who are currently 15 or younger.
While the legislation would not ban smoking outright, it could help prevent younger people ever taking up the habit in the first place. The Bill will also empower the Government to clamp down on young people vaping by imposing restrictions on flavours and regulating packaging to make them less appealing.
Announcing the plans last year, Mr Sunak said he was motivated by wanting to 'build a better and brighter future for our children', citing how tens of thousands of deaths are caused each year as a result of smoking, as well as NHS costs and a 'hugely detrimental' impact on productivity across the nation.
The largest preventable killer across the UK, it is estimated that smoking causes about one in four deaths from cancer and leads to 64,000 deaths across England annually. The Government also say that around one hospital admission per minute comes as a result of smoking, while 75,000 GP appointments a month are taken up by smoking-related illnesses.
Leaders also say a 'smoke-free generation' could prevent over 470,000 cases of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and other diseases by the end of the century. The Bill is backed strongly by health experts.
If successful, the new system will be set up by 2027. Shopkeepers caught selling tobacco to underage customers will see fines of £100 on the spot, in addition to the £2,500 in penalties that local authorities can currently impose. The legal age to purchase tobacco products will increase each year, as will the number of people unable to buy tobacco.
While new rules will apply to duty free shops across the UK, people who buy tobacco abroad will still be able to bring products home as long as they were acquired legally.
Do you agree with the Government's proposal for a smoke-free generation? Let us know in our interactive poll below.
