Age restriction for buying cigarettes could be changed under new plan
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Javed Khan, former chief executive of children’s charity Barnardo’s, is leading an independent review on how to stop smoking in England.
The Government has set a target of the country going smoke-free by 2030, but with an estimated six million smokers there is still some way to go.
Tobacco is still the single largest cause of preventable death in England, with 64,000 people dying from smoking in 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics.
That’s despite a steady drop in smoking over the past 20 years, with cigarette use falling from 15.8% in 2019 to 14.5% in 2020.
Late last year New Zealand took the step of banning anyone currently aged 14 and under from ever buying cigarettes – even after they become adults.
Now Mr Khan is considering whether to raise the minimum age to buy cigarettes to 25 in England in a bid to stop people picking up the habit.
He says the 2030 target would not be met if ‘nothing different is done’ to stamp out smoking. He is due to report his findings...
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