In recent weeks, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced plans to follow New Zealand in creating a smoke-free future. Last month, Sunak said the government would introduce legislation that would phase out the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products for the next generation. The ban will not extend to vapes however harsher restrictions are expected to be implemented. King Charles III backed the Conservative government’s decision in his speech to the reopening of parliament. Sunak celebrated the bill, stating that “a 14-year-old today will never have the opportunity to legally purchase cigarettes.”
PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak has set out a plan that proposes raising the legal age that people in England can buy cigarettes that could mean 14-year-olds will never be able to smoke, effectively resulting in a generation that hasn’t been exposed to nicotine.