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.

  • guyrocket@kbin.social
    14·
    10 months ago

    The (stopped?) trend in the US had been to tax cigs to make them unaffordable. Just before the last major hike, my brand was about $5/pack. Now it is $10-12. So glad I quit.

    Is that a viable strategy, to continue tax/price hikes?

    • Madison_rogue@kbin.social
      15·
      10 months ago

      Did it stop you smoking? If so, then yes it worked.

      Every 10% increase in cigarette tax results a 4% reduction in consumption among adults, and a 7% decrease amongst youth. Source

      • guyrocket@kbin.social
        10·
        10 months ago

        It was a minor motivator for me. Bigger ones were things like not dying and my son.

        Interesting stats, thanks.

    • mrnotoriousman@kbin.social
      9·
      10 months ago

      I was paying $14 a pack when I quit 6 weeks ago in NYS. The gum is working out great so far and I feel so much better. 17 years smoking regularly. They should be banned everywhere, sorry fellow smokers. It’s a disgusting, nasty habit that is incredibly hard to break.

      • Vode An@lemmy.ml
        61·
        10 months ago

        I’ve been on zyns for a while now, my lungs do feel so much better. It’s hard to quit the substance, but it’s easier than ever to take it in without inhaling anything.

    • Munkisquisher@lemmy.nz
      3·
      10 months ago

      They’ve been doing that in New Zealand. A pack is now $50. Violent robbery of gas stations and corner stores for them have massively increased