The majority of the public back the outlawing of cigarette sales to young people
A new YouGov survey reveals that 67% of people in England support the smoking ban proposed by Chancellor Rishi Sunak. The ban would prohibit the sale of cigarettes to individuals born after 2009. The policy has gained widespread support, with 74% of Tory voters and 72% of Labour supporters in favor of the ban.
A new law formalizing the smoking ban is expected to pass through Parliament before the general election next year. Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health, believes that the ban is a cross-party victory for public health. She stated, "This is not a party-political issue in the UK, successive governments, backed by strong public and parliamentary support, have passed increasingly stringent tobacco regulations aimed at bringing the smoking epidemic to an end."
Tory MP Bob Blackman, who lost his mother to lung cancer at the age of 47, emphasized the personal significance of the smoking ban. He said, "No one wants to see children start smoking, which is why support for this policy is so high across the political spectrum. As MPs, we witness the impact smoking has in our communities, and many of us have personal experience with it as well."
