The government is set to ban smoking for those who are aged 14 and younger as part of a new landmark law that could create the first smokefree generation.
The legislation would mean anyone born in 2009 and after would be legally not allowed to buy tobacco products – the idea being, the age at which you cannot smoke increases every year until the habit has been phased out completely.
The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, made the announcement during his keynote speech at the Conservative Party conference, where he framed the policy as the best way to relieve the “huge pressures” on the NHS, given it is associated with nearly one hospital admission every minute and 75,000 GP appointments each month.
It is also the UK’s biggest preventable killer, with figures estimating smoking causes one in four cancer deaths and 64,000 deaths a year in England overall.
Sunak’s smoking policy was one of the headlines of his speech and one of the few that pertained to the NHS, with the majority of that news being announced by the health secretary, Steve Barclay.
Barclay spoke of the creation of a new £30m fund to accelerate the adoption of innovative technology, new medical school places for next year, and potential changes to the NHS constitution.
1/ In the UK smoking causes 1 in 4 cancer deaths.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) October 4, 2023
So I’m proposing changing the law so children turning 14 or younger this year can never legally be sold cigarettes in their lifetime.
A smoke-free generation.
None of us want our children to grow up to smoke.
Here's why 👇🧵 pic.twitter.com/pbym3E6cck
“This is a momentous public health intervention and we welcome the government’s bold and ambitious action which will lead to longer and healthier lives,” said NHS England’s medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, reacting to the announcement. “A smokefree generation will relieve an enormous burden on our NHS.”
Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell OBE, added: “Raising the age of sale on tobacco products is a critical step on the road to creating the first ever smokefree generation.”
She continued: “The prime minister deserves great credit for putting the health of its citizens ahead of the interests of the tobacco lobby. Investing more in stop smoking services is essential for the nation.”
If the government is to take public health seriously though, they must go even further and introduce wider preventative changes, according to the Health Foundation.
Senior policy fellow, Adam Briggs, said: “The government should learn from tobacco policy and take bolder steps to prevent poor health from other leading risk factors such as alcohol and junk food.
“Meaningful long-term change will only be possible if these actions are part of a coordinated cross-government strategy for health that ensures everyone has the basic building blocks of good health, such as good quality housing, secure employment, and high-quality education.”
A similar line was taken by the NHS Confederation’s chief executive, Matthew Taylor, who said: “The reality is this government has presided over cuts to public health spending and these have to be reversed if we are to achieve the prime minister’s ambition.”
Taylor added: “Obesity is fast overtaking smoking as the number one cause of preventable death in England, but public health grants have been cut by 26% on a real-terms per person basis since 2015/16.
“This has harmed the ability of local authorities to adequately support smoking cessation, drug and alcohol, and sexual health services across the country.”
Image credit: iStock
