The legal smoking age in England could reportedly be raised from 18 to 21 after a ‘radical’ review into plans to make England smoke-free in 2030 - less than ten years away.
An independent review commissioned by the health secretary, Sajid Javid, and led by Javed Khan, the former chief executive of the children’s charity Barnardo’s, is also expected to support new taxes on tobacco company profits, according to the Telegraph. The review is also expected to recommend the NHS increase efforts to encourage smokers to switch to vaping and e-cigarettes, particularly pregnant women.
The Telegraph also reports that Javid, who gave up smoking after becoming health secretary last year, had considered recommending the minimum age be raised to 25. He is also understood to be in favour of major changes to the government’s tobacco policy, including tightening rules on sales.
