British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak today proposed banning younger generations from buying cigarettes, a move that would give Britain some of the strictest anti-smoking rules in the world.
The proposal - if translated into law - would make Britain the first country in Europe to ban the sale of cigarettes to young people. Denmark is considering a similar measure.
They could phase out youth smoking almost completely from 2040, according to a government briefing paper detailing the proposals.
If the proposal goes ahead, it would no longer be legal to sell a cigarette to a 14-year-old child, Sunak stressed at the Conservative Party conference on the proposed new rule.
Under his anti-smoking plan, Sunak said the smoking age would be raised by one year each year, meaning a younger generation could grow up "smoking-free", improving the country's health. Sunak also plans to introduce measures to restrict the availability of vapes for children.
The government will consult on restricting the flavors and descriptions of vaporizers so that they can no longer be targeted at children, according to the briefing document, adding that it will also look into regulating the packaging and presentation of vaporizers.
The proposed smoking ban is similar to one introduced by New Zealand last year, which became the first country to prevent those born during or after 2009 from legally purchasing cigarettes. The ban would take effect in 2027.
Sunak said smoking costs British health services 17 billion pounds (about $21 billion) a year and that cancer deaths could be reduced by a quarter if people stopped smoking.
The policy would hurt companies that make a relatively large portion of their profits from their British cigarette businesses, namely Japan Tobacco, maker of Camel and Benson
Imperial Brands shares fell 1.5% at 1209 GMT to their lowest level since April 2022, while shares in British American Tobacco, which has less exposure to the British market, fell 0.8%.
