Council house tenants could be banned from smoking in their own home under proposals for a radical shake-up of the tobacco laws. A report commissioned by the Government has suggested that 70 per cent of social housing should be designated as no smoking while also recommending that lighting up be banned in outdoor places such as beer gardens, cafe pavements and beaches.
Dr Javed Khan, the report's author, said that the age of sale should increase from 18 by one year every year until nobody can buy a tobacco product. If implemented by 2026, this would mean anyone aged 14 and under now would never be able to buy a cigarette.
He added that ministers would not meet their pledge to make England smoke-free by 2030 unless such reforms are brought in as a matter of urgency. He wrote: "In the USA, smoking is prohibited in all social housing. A significant proportion of new tenancies and new developments - 70 per cent - should be smoke-free to reflect the 70 per cent of people in social housing that do not smoke.
