PRIME Minister Rishi Sunak wants to make Britain “smoke-free” by 2040.
He told the last day of the Conservative Party Conference that people under a certain age will never be able to smoke legally.
AlamyPeople of a certain age won’t be affected by the ban[/caption]
Nearly 13 per cent of UK adults still smoke – while 8.7 per cent use e-cigarettes daily.
Here’s everything you need to know about the government’s planned smoking ban.
What age do you have to be to never be able to legally smoke?
In his speech at the 2023 Conservative Party conference in Manchester, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that children currently under 14 will never be able to legally buy cigarettes in their lifetime.
Mr Sunak said: “We must tackle the single biggest entirely preventable cause of ill health, disability and death.
“And that is smoking, and our country. Smoking causes one in four cancer deaths.”
The Government hopes the crackdown will see 1.7 million fewer people smoking by 2075, against the current 6.4 million.
What is the new smoking ban?
It will become illegal for anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, to be sold tobacco products.
It suggests a 15-year-old – born on or before December 31, 2008 – will always be able to buy cigarettes, with the legal age to buy smoking products rising year-on-year with their age.
Existing smokers will avoid the ban, and continue to be encouraged by health chiefs to switch to vaping.
But the PM also announced plans to outlaw vapes with packaging and flavours designed to appeal to youngsters.
Disposable vapes are also set to be banned in England to stop children getting addicted.
What was the old legal smoking age?
Currently, the smoking age is 18, which was changed from 16 years in 2007.
Raising the legal smoking age every year was one of the key recommendations of a government-commissioned review into smoking.
The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) previously laid out 12 steps to help the government achieve this target alongside those announced by Mr Sunak at the Conservative Party conference.
Mr Sunak promised MPs a “free vote” on his plans meaning they can oppose them without fear of being disciplined.
However, Downing Street has not said when a free vote will be held.