Plan divides government
Brits should be prevented from buying cigarettes
April 16, 2024, 9:46 a.m
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Cigar fan Winston Churchill’s party wants to ban cigarettes in Great Britain. The undertaking, which would reduce the smoking rate among young people to zero in the coming years, is controversial.
Great Britain wants to make the legal purchase of cigarettes impossible in the long term and is planning a strict law to do so. Parliament in London is scheduled to discuss the anti-tobacco bill for the first time on Tuesday. It envisages raising the minimum age for purchasing cigarettes by one year each year from the current 18 years. Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s goal is to ensure that no one who turns 15 or younger this year will ever be able to legally purchase cigarettes. According to government figures, the smoking rate in the 14 to 30 year old group could be close to zero by 2040.
But Sunak faces fierce resistance from within his own ranks. His immediate predecessor Liz Truss criticized the project as an infringement on the right of self-determination of adults. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is no longer a member of the House of Commons, said of the law: “When I look at some of the things that we are doing now or that are being done in the name of conservatism, I think they are absolutely crazy.” Winston Churchill’s party, of all people, wanted to ban cigars, said Johnson. The Nobel Prize winner and former prime minister were known to enjoy puffing on cigars.
Dozens of Tory MPs could reportedly vote against the proposal if it is put to a vote, according to reports. There should be no obligation to join a party. Nevertheless, commentators expect the House of Commons to eventually pass the bill because Labor, the main opposition force, supports the bill. However, anti-smoking campaigners warn that the tobacco lobby is working behind the scenes to weaken, delay or even thwart the plans, the Guardian newspaper reported.
The draft also plans to make e-cigarettes less attractive to young people. Sweet flavors and bright packaging, which primarily appeal to minors, should be restricted. In a separate law, disposable e-cigarettes are to be banned in principle. The number of 11 to 17 year olds who have tried so-called vapes has tripled to 20.5 percent in the past three years. In the UK, around 80,000 people die every year as a result of smoking.