Plans to make it illegal for people in the UK born after 2009 to buy tobacco have been defended by the health secretary. Victoria Atkins argued that the move would create a “smoke-free generation” while critics, including former Prime Minister Liz Truss, suggested it would limit personal freedom. Although Conservative MPs will be permitted to vote freely on the matter, the move is likely to pass, with Labour already offering support. Nepal, Sri Lanka and Kuwait have already implemented such a prohibition. A new bill also aims to reduce the appeal of vapes among children, with restrictions on flavours and packaging.
The chief medical officer for England, Sir Chris Whitty, argued that smokers’ freedom to choose is taken away once they become addicted to nicotine. Supporters of the ban echoed this point, with the government pointing out that most smokers start before they reach adulthood. Three-quarters of smokers report that they would not take up the habit if they could turn back the clock, Atkins added. Labour’s shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting, argued the fact that his party proposed the ban originally demonstrated its “dominance in the battle of ideas”.
Not all Conservative MPs have been won over, however. Ex-minister Sir Jake Berry claimed he was more concerned about the “addiction of the government to telling people what to do” than people being addicted to nicotine. Ms Atkins said she understood the party’s concerns about “banning things” but insisted the ban was necessary. Trading standard officials will be granted new powers to impose instant fines of £100 on shops selling tobacco or vapes to children; the funds raised will be used to enforce the ban. One in five children have tried vaping, despite it being illegal for under-18s, while the number of young vapers has tripled in three years.
It is worth noting that the UK is far from the first country to curb tobacco sales among the young in such a way. Nepal, Kuwait and Sri Lanka are among those that have already implemented such a prohibition. The bill will also extend to vaping, which has recently become a significant health concern in the UK, particularly among young people. By the time they turn 18 and are legally able to buy cigarettes, Atkins said, most smokers have already formed the habit. She argued that the ban would rob nicotine of its power to “rob people of their freedom
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More