17 November 2023 , 12:00
549
0
Mirror readers are split down the middle over Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan for new smoking laws.
Last month, he vowed to raise the smoking age up by 'one year, every year' so that a 14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette - and their generation will grow up smoke-free. The proposed new legislation will make it an offence for anyone born on or after January 1, 2009 to be sold tobacco products – effectively raising the smoking age by a year each year until it applies to the whole population.
This has the potential to phase out smoking in young people almost completely by as early as 2040. And readers were torn over whether it was a good plan or not. We asked Do you agree with Rishi Sunak's plan for new smoking laws? And 739 of you said yes, while 740 said no. Nearly 150 of you commented on our original story. Here's a flavour of what some of you had to say:
Seanguitar: "I'm a smoker myself and I agree in principle with Rishi Sunak's plan ... What I would question is the economic reasons he puts forward like 'smoking costs our country £70billion a year'. Tax on cigarettes alone - not counting tax on 'roll up' tobacco, pipe tobacco, cigars or any other tobacco products - currently takes in over £10 billion annually plus standard rate VAT at 20 per cent. So why not phase out funding for illnesses directly caused by smoking on the same diminishing scale or 'pro rata' as banning the sale of tobacco products?"
Pjg: "Yes to some degree. No to some degree. It's not an easy choice. A good idea but not really practical. So one person can buy cigarettes and another person born the day after can't? Not sure what the answer is. Also, where is the tax revenue lost going to come from? Might save money but you lose the revenue possibly decades before any meaningful savings are seen."
Out of touch Rishi Sunak doesn't regularly read papers or online news sites
Downsideup: "Smokers or non-smokers should all be concerned about this latest attempt to erode your freedom to choose. Why do they think they can tell us what we can and cannot choose? Next ban will be sugars and fats because of obesity. See where it leads - total control over YOUR choices."
Shakeya: "We should defend our personal freedoms!"
Peteralfred: "This is taking away a person's freedom of choice and creating a George Orwell state. I have never been a smoker or a drinker but what people want to spend their hard-earned wages on is up to them. Just because he and his wife are against smoking he should not be discriminating against ordinary men and women. With this he's totally out of touch with the human race."
Katie24: "He is not stopping those who currently smoke from doing so but if my grandchildren do not smoke due to this law I would be happy with it. I used to smoke but managed to give up, along with many others, who, having smoked, probably wish they had never started. Now is the chance."
FatherTedCrilly: "I agree that this is the right thing to do. Vaping is an effective alternative, so it's not like people won't have the freedom to consume nicotine in an almost identical manner. Not that I'm saying people should or shouldn't vape, but the choice is there."
'Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable disease and death'
Speaking at the Tory party conference in Manchester last month, Mr Sunak described smoking as the 'biggest cause of preventable disease and death', before adding the habit puts enormous pressures on the NHS and 'costs our country £70billion a year'. The PM said the move will cut cancer deaths by a quarter. "We must tackle the single biggest entirely preventable cause of ill health, disability and death. That is smoking in our country... It significantly increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, dementia and stillbirth."
He added: "I propose that in future we raise the smoking age by one year, every year...We know this works. When we raised the smoking age to 18, smoking prevalence dropped by 30 per cent in that age group. We have a chance to cut cancer deaths by a quarter, significantly ease those pressures, and protect our children, and we should take it."
Mr Sunak said there would be a Commons vote on the change in the law in the future, but said it would be a free vote, describing it as a "matter of conscience".