Following Rishi Sunak’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference today (4th October) that the government is considering raising the age of sale of cigarettes in the UK, Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive at Asthma + Lung UK, said:
“Today's announcement for England to ban cigarettes for the next generation by gradually increasing the smoking age is an incredibly positive step forward, which will protect the next generation from developing lung conditions caused by this deadly addiction.
“Smoking remains the biggest cause of lung disease deaths in the UK, with tobacco costing the NHS £2.5 billion every year and £1.2 billion in social care costs.
“This proposal has been successfully introduced in other places like New Zealand, but we are keen to see the details of how this policy will be enforced, to make sure it can be effectively implemented.
“In addition to today’s announcement, sufficient funding is also needed to help the millions of current smokers who want to quit. We hope the government will consider a polluter pays levy on tobacco manufacturers to fund smoking cessation programmes.”