UK Confirms Plans To Ban Smoking

King Charles III confirmed that the UK Government will introduce legislation to raise the age of sale for tobacco, ensuring no one currently aged 14 or under can ever be legally sold cigarettes or other tobacco products.

The announcement, made in the King’s Speech during the state opening of Parliament, follows on from last month’s Conservative party conference, where Prime Minister Rishi Sunak committed to creating the first smoke-free generation. 

In response to New Zealand’s aim to be smoke-free by 2025, King Charles announced plans to gradually raise the tobacco sales age every year.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill introduced by the King, which also includes measures to curb youth vaping, ties in with government plans to provide extra funding for local stop-smoking services and invest in mass-media campaigns encouraging people to quit.