Today marks a monumental milestone in the journey towards a smoke-free britain. Let’s take a look at what was discussed today by Rishi Sunak at the 2023 Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.
- Smoking Age Increment: UK PM Rishi Sunak proposes annually raising the legal smoking age.
- Objective: Aiming to create a smoke-free generation by preventing legal cigarette purchases for today's 14-year-olds.
- Impact: Reduction in early-age smoking, potentially saving thousands of lives annually.
- Riot's Reaction: Positive, launching a timer counting down to an envisioned smoking-free era by 2040.
- Public Reactions: Mixed, some appreciate the health-centric move while others criticize it as authoritarian.
- Ban or Not: Not a complete ban, but a strategic move towards reducing smoking rates significantly.
Read the official Department of Health and Social Care: Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation
Rishi Sunak’s Smoking Ban announcement today
In a groundbreaking twist, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has unveiled a daring plan to incrementally raise the legal smoking age by one year annually in England. This bold initiative, unveiled at the annual Tory party conference, sets its sights on forging a smoke-free generation and combating the formidable health risks linked to smoking. Rishi Sunak's stance on smoking is an emphatic proposal that will lead to a lot of discussion. That being said, Riot is all in for this decision, we just wish it would happen NOW!
How will the Smoking Ban work?
Prime Minister Sunak's proposal, while deceptively simple, carries profound implications: progressively elevate the legal smoking age each year. The ultimate aim? Ensuring that today's 14-year-olds and their successors never legally purchase cigarettes. This audacious move has the potential to pave the way for a future where smoking is relegated to the history books.
How will the Smoking Ban affect you?
Research shows a staggering four out of five smokers begin their habit before hitting the age of 20. Cigarette smoking stands as the foremost cause of preventable death and ailment in the UK, responsible for approximately one in five cancer cases and over one in four cancer-related fatalities each year. This totals to over 70,000 deaths every year in the UK alone caused by smoking, with an average of 1 person admitted to hospital every minute! By diminishing the number of smokers, this plan will save countless lives and substantially alleviate the burden on the NHS.
How are Riot reacting to this news?
We feel a bank holiday should be in order for such a momentous event, but we won’t hold our breath. Above all, this new law will protect our young people, which is something we have always been vocal about doing. As mentioned, 4 out of every 5 smokers pick up the habit at the age of 20 or younger. This new proposal would safeguard an entire generation of people and the generations to come.
It’s safe to say that we are f**king chuffed with the news, so much so that we have decided to launch our own timer, counting down to the death of cigarettes. The time shows a visual of the estimates suggesting smoking in young people will be almost completely obsolete, as early as 2040.
Reactions to UK smoking law changes
Some are in total agreement…
While others have worries of their own…
So is smoking going to be banned in the UK?
So, you might be wondering, is smoking going to be banned in the UK? Well, not exactly, but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's bold move to gradually raise the legal smoking age is a huge step toward making cigarettes a thing of the past. While it's not an outright ban, it's a powerful push in the right direction. Rishi Sunak’s stance on smoking is clear, the goal isn't just to stub out cigarettes; it's about creating a generation that never sparks up in the first place. And when you consider that four out of five smokers start before they hit 20, this strategy could be a game-changer. So, while we might not see an immediate end to smoking, the countdown to its eventual extinction has officially begun. Cheers to a smoke-free future! 🚭👏
Written by Kane Mayston-Barlow
