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.

  • spauldo@lemmy.mlEnglish
    22·
    1 year ago

    Prohibition works most of the time. Do you know where to get your hands on some black tar heroin? I don’t, nor do most people.

    Prohibition of alcohol took something that was popular and made it illegal. Of course it failed. Making tobacco illegal would fail if they did it for everyone. I’m suggesting they make it illegal for people who aren’t already addicted to it.

    Edit: heroin, not heroine. Thanks, autocorrect.

    • SyldonEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      I have no idea what black tar heroin is, but I am fairly sure I could find someone who sells drugs of any type locally. As I said the war on drugs has failed. Watch this video from an ex-UK policeman. This is what happens when you make things illegal.

      • spauldo@lemmy.mlEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        The fact that you don’t know what it is is proof enough that the prohibition against it works. I have no interest in watching your video.

        And besides, you’re missing the point. Prohibition of tobacco is coming. I’m not arguing in its favor. I’m suggesting that if they must prohibit tobacco, they phase it out instead of banning it outright.

        • SyldonEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          Prohibition of tobacco is coming.

          I have never seen Labour push this policy and Sunak has no time. I feel you are deluded on this one. I should add I am very much an anti smoking person. I just see this as a sensible option.

    • Uncle_Bagel@midwest.social
      1·
      1 year ago

      Kids are already not allowed to smoke or purchase nicotine products but millions of teenagers are still addicted to nicotine and vape like crazy. How can you enforce a ban for an entire age group? And how could you possibly justify an arbitrary ban that allows half the population to purchase and consume something and prohibits the ither half? A law that bans women from purchasing tobacco because it is harmful for a fetus would be struck down by every court in the nation, so why would a ban that discriminates against adults based kn age be any different?

      • spauldo@lemmy.mlEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Well, I guess we’ll just make it illegal for everyone and the old timers like me just have to deal with it. Thanks, I hate it.