British opponents of smoking have acclaimed a breath of fresh air as the UK Parliament passed a bill that will put cigarettes out of reach for future generations.
The law is similar to one New Zealand MPs passed in 2022 under the previous Labour government, but that was repealed by the coalition.
"The end of smoking, and the devastating harm it causes, is no longer uncertain — it’s inevitable," Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said after a decades-long campaign in favour of legislation approved.
British children born after December 31, 2008, will be banned from ever buying cigarettes under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
The legislation will also allow the UK government to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including flavours and packaging. It is currently illegal to sell cigarettes, tobacco products or vapes to people younger than 18.
The goal to have fewer than 5% of New Zealanders be smokers by the end of next year is "within reach", Associate Health Minister Casey Costello says. (Source: 1News)
But most youths today will continue to face a ban on their entire life as the minimum age to buy cigarettes rises each year.
The passage gives the UK one of the toughest anti-smoking measures in the world.
The number of people who smoke in Britain has declined by two-thirds since the 1970s, but some 6.4 million people — or about 13% of the population — still smoke, according to official figures.
Authorities say smoking causes some 80,000 deaths a year in the UK, and remains the number one preventable cause of death, disability and poor health.
"Children in the UK will be part of the first smokefree generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm," Health Secretary Wes Streeting said.
— additional reporting by 1News
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