The PM revealed plans to phase out the sale of tobacco by raising the legal smoking age every year in an attempt to eventually have a “smoke-free” generation. Should the proposal go ahead, people under the age of 14 will never legally be able to buy cigarettes.
In Leeds, over 120,000 people smoke according to Office of National Statistics.
Sunak has stated that smoking is the “single biggest preventable cause of death, disability and illness in our society” and this is an opinion shared by health charities across the country.
Leah Holtom, Head of Cancer Insight at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said the proposal is a “great step forward” if it can be pushed through Parliament.
“This is a really huge opportunity to create a smoke free generation that could save the lives of thousands of people across Yorkshire and beyond every year. Most people who start smoking take it up in their teenage years and around two thirds of people who try smoking will actually go on to be daily smokers. It’s finding a way to stop people from smoking when they’re young in the first instance that will mean we can gradually phase it out”.
Despite the support of health charities, people in Leeds are not as welcoming of the proposal as many believe it will not work.
“There are young people under the legal age smoking already, if they want to smoke they will find a way. It’s up to people themselves to make decisions about on their own health.”
The news of the proposal comes during Stoptober, a national campaign to encourage people to quit smoking. According to Yorkshire Cancer Research, while the proposal to increase the legal smoking age is a positive first step, more needs to be done.
“More money needs to be put in to campaigns like Stoptober. It’s not going to work for everyone but it’s a great way to kickstart someone into quitting smoking”.
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