Exclusive: Sources say law could gradually increase smoking age to ultimately prevent sales to people born after certain year

Rishi Sunak is considering introducing some of the world’s toughest anti-smoking measures that would in effect ban the next generation from ever being able to buy cigarettes, the Guardian has learned.

Whitehall sources said the prime minister was looking at measures similar to those brought in by New Zealand last December. They involved steadily increasing the legal smoking age so tobacco would end up never being sold to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.

  • loutr@sh.itjust.works
    22·
    9 months ago

    I’m very pro-legalization but honestly tobacco is a shit drug. No real high, very addictive and awful health effects. I don’t see many people going through the hassle of maintaining their addiction illegally if it was banned everywhere.

    • umbrella@lemmy.ml
      5·
      9 months ago

      I don’t see many people going through the hassle of maintaining their addiction illegally

      Tobacco addicts are on another level. I’ve met people who kicked cocaine but couldn’t quit cigs.

      Shit, where I live cigarettes are expensive and there is already a gray market for untaxed tobacco.

      • DogMuffins@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        5·
        9 months ago

        I think the reason tobacco is so hard to kick is just because there’s no immediate deleterious effects. Why quit this week when you could quit next week or next month?

      • loutr@sh.itjust.works
        2·
        9 months ago

        I know, I am one :( But I also know that if I had to go to a dealer to buy cigarettes, I couldn’t smoke in public and it was as socially frowned upon as hard drugs I’d have a much easier time quitting.