A report by the Government suggests raising the smoking age by one year, every year, until the point that nobody can buy tobacco.
Dr Javed Khan's review on how to make smoking "obsolete" proposes increasing the age people can buy tobacco, among 14 other recommendations. The Department of Health and Social Care asked Dr Khan to put together the report to help inform the Government's approach to cut smoking levels in the UK and reduce the number of people who take up the habit.
Along with an annual increase in the smoking age, Dr Khan's key recommendations suggest investing £125m more a year in smoke-free policies, along with an additional £70m per year set aside for stop smoking services. E-cigarettes, or vapes, should be promoted as an effective “swap to stop” tool, Dr Khan also recommends, while shops selling tobacco products should require special licences, to limit its availability across the country.
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Almost six million people in England smoke, and tobacco remains the single biggest cause of preventable illness and death, the Department of Health said.
Dr Khan said: “In this review, I have looked at our current smoke-free initiatives, along with the very best practice from around the world. I would like to thank the many valued voices that have made key contributions towards shaping this bold and ambitious report.
“Without immediate and sustained action, England will miss the smoke-free target by many years and most likely decades.
“A smoke-free society should be a social norm – but to achieve this, we must do more to stop people taking up smoking, help those who already smoke and support those who are disproportionately impacted by smoking. My holistic set of recommendations for Government will deliver this, whilst saving lives, saving money and addressing the health disparities associated with smoking.
“My proposals are not just a plan for this government, but successive governments too. To truly achieve a smoke-free society in our great country, we need to commit to making smoking obsolete, once and for all.
“It was a privilege to work on this review and get the opportunity to improve the health of people across the country, and I look forward to seeing the government’s response.”
The Department of Health and Social care says: "This review was commissioned by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and it provides independent, evidence-based advice that will inform the government’s approach to reduce the numbers of people taking up smoking and helping smokers to quit."
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