Britain may stub out cigarettes for under-21s soon

SALES of cigarettes to under-21s should be banned in a bid to end the “tobacco epidemic” by 2030, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on smoking and health has recommended, among other tougher tobacco regulations to protect children and young people from becoming smokers.

Backed by health charities and medical organisations, the APPG report proposes raising the age from 18 to 21 for the sale of cigarettes. It also suggested the introduction of a “polluter pays” amendment to the health and social care bill to secure funding for a tobacco control programme. The amendment will force manufacturers to fund the programme.

Calling to make smoking obsolete, the cross-party group of MPs and peers urged the government to commit to action needed to secure its vision of a smoke-free 2030. The APPG report also proposes targeted investment to provide additional support where smoking does the most damage, including those who are in routine and manual jobs, unemployed, living in social housing, or who have a mental health condition or are pregnant.

APPG chairman Bob Blackman said the report sets out measures that will put the country on track to achieve the “government's ambition to end smoking by 2030, but they can't be delivered without funding”.

"The manufacturers have the money, they should be made to pay to end the epidemic,” he said.

Citing widespread support, the APPG report claims that more than three-quarters of the public stand by the government's smoke-free 2030 ambition, with some 77 per cent in favour of making tobacco manufacturers pay a levy to the government to fund measures, while 63 per cent are in favour of increasing the age of sale from 18 to 21.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said, “Currently smoking rates are not declining nearly fast enough. If, as called for by the APPG, the recommendations in its report are implemented by 2022 we can get on track to make smoking obsolete by 2030”.