It is being reported that the legal age for buying cigarettes could be raised to 21 as part of a 'radical' plan. The Health Secretary, Sajid Javid, is waiting on a report into the smoking industry.
The independent review, which as commissioned by Mr Javid, is expected to be made public within weeks. It is anticipated that it will suggest raising the legal age for buying cigarettes to 21 in Britain, reports BirminghamLive.
The Telegraph is also reporting that new taxes would be introduced on the profits of tobacco companies as smokers are urged to quit. At the moment the legal age for buying tobacco products is 18, having been raised from 16 in 2007.
The Health Secretary himself quit smoking when he took on the post from Matt Hancock. The forthcoming report was written by Javed Khan, who reportedly supports a "polluter pays" philiosophy that would see tobacco firms effectively funding the cost of anti-smoking policies.
A source close to former charity boss Mr Khan said: "The stance he’s taken in the meetings I’ve had with him has been quite radical."
The review will help Javid make his case to increase the legal age to 21 - and get the smoking reforms passed in the Commons. The ban on under 21s buying cigarettes and smoking could contribute to the plan to make the country smoke-free by 2030.
The report is also set to make vaping and e-cigarettes more accessible - as an alternative to cigarettes. Taxing the tobacco industry could raise up to £700 million a year - which would be used to provide e-cigarettes on the NHS.
An insider added: "Sajid Javid is interested in health inequality and he is interested in tackling public health issues, but the Government is in hock to right-wing MPs. On tobacco, they are still nervous about some kind of nanny state attack."
