The Blubber

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is considering introducing measures that would ban those born after 2009 from ever being able to buy cigarettes, per Reuters.

Sources within Whitehall have indicated that the Prime Minister is considering implementing measures akin to those introduced by New Zealand in December of the previous year. These measures involved incrementally raising the legal smoking age, eventually leading to a scenario where tobacco would no longer be available for sale to individuals born on or after January 1, 2009.

It has come to light that Chancellor Rishi Sunak's commitment to impose a £10 fine on individuals who miss GP or hospital appointments may also be back under consideration, although this could pose political challenges. The idea had been announced by the Prime Minister during his campaign in the summer of 2022 but seemed to have been set aside when he assumed office in the autumn.

A policy on smoking akin to that of New Zealand would effectively phase out cigarettes for the upcoming generation. During the tenure of former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand also passed legislation to reduce the nicotine content in tobacco products and restrict their sale to specialized tobacco outlets, moving away from convenience stores and supermarkets.

The Labour party has previously expressed intentions to explore the possibility of gradually discontinuing cigarette sales to younger individuals, following a model similar to New Zealand. In January, the Shadow Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, stated his interest in gauging whether there was a public appetite for such a change in the country.