“It would transfer billions of dollars of government money to the black market.”

Although the measure will not criminalize the act of smoking, it will mean a significant change in the way tobacco is accessed in the country. Under this new law, people who can currently purchase tobacco legally will not be affected.

Those opposing it allege that it would be difficult to implement, among other reasons. And they cite the example of New Zealand, which was a leading country with a similar measure but now wants to step back. But the government defends that, just as the existing ban on not selling tobacco to minors under 18 works, this new model will work in the same way, with fines being the main way to deter illegal sales.

And the Sunak government plans to implement £100 fine in cash to establishments selling tobacco and vaping devices to minors in England and Wales, and local authorities would be responsible for managing these funds, which would have to be reused precisely to strengthen law enforcement. This fine will be added to the existing fine of £2,500 that courts can already impose.

But the logistical challenge is important. For example, smoking cessation services are managed by public health teams in local councils, but these have suffered significant cuts in recent years, affecting other areas of public health, such as drug and alcohol care, sexual health or obesity. Is.

In addition, government sources reported that £30 million is planned to be allocated to ensure compliance with the law and will include funding to strengthen action to address the availability of cigarettes on the black market, which is currently Not extended to.

Example of Bhutan and South Africa

Critics of this policy, including the Institute of Economic Affairs, argue that setting an arbitrary age-based line to determine who can purchase tobacco raises serious ethical and practical questions. For example, while an 18-year-old would not have a permit to purchase tobacco, his 19-year-old friend would, a discrepancy which he believes increases the possibility of illegal cigarette trade and raises questions. That’s how effectively the law would be implemented.

According to a report by the institute, “the government’s generational ban on tobacco will divert billions of pounds from government coffers to criminal gangs” and details that “in 2004, Bhutan became the only country in the modern era to impose a permanent ban on tobacco”.

Thriving black market

“The ban has led to smuggling and black markets flourishing, and a World Health Organization study found an increase in underage cigarette smoking in Bhutan following the ban.” He also cites as an example that “South Africa’s tobacco ban during the COVID-19 pandemic also largely failed to deter smokers from purchasing cigarettes on the illicit market.”

The same document emphasizes that “the United Kingdom government receives £10 billion annually in tobacco taxes, which is at risk of being lost due to prohibitionist plans” and the report’s author Christopher Snowdon believes that “As the black market grows, revenues from tobacco taxes will diminish, criminal gangs will become richer and more powerful, and, paradoxically, it will become easier for kids to get cheap cigarettes.

“Violation of personal freedom”

“As the first group of teens turn 18 in 2027, the absurdity of a generational tobacco ban will become clear,” he said, while “the problems of enforcement, crime and declining tax revenues will more slowly but surely emerge.” Will come.” In his opinion, “The government’s justifications for this gross infringement on individual liberty are baseless. “The New Zealand and Malaysian governments have turned their backs on this prohibitionist plan and now it is time for the British government to look beyond the headlines and seriously reconsider.”

“The ban leaves a group of adults vulnerable, discriminates on the basis of age and raises issues of inter-generational injustice,” Snowdon wrote, adding that the government justifies the ban on the grounds that most smokers want to smoke. That he did not smoke. never started” and on the “health costs associated with cigarettes”, but, according to the report, “the majority of smokers are not actively trying to quit, and smokers pay more for tobacco taxes than the NHS (national contribute far more to the state through health system).

always with your passport

Another logical issue is that people will have to carry ID if they want to buy cigarettes in the future, but there is no DNI in the UK, which would force them to use a passport or driving license to prove identity. In any case, according to Simon Clarke, director of Forest Smoking Group, “anyone who wants to smoke will buy tobacco abroad or from illegal sources.”

On the other hand, Dr Sarah Jackson, part of the Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group at University College London, defends the measure as a strategy to discourage young people from starting to smoke. They argue that raising the minimum sales age has been shown to be effective in reducing smoking rates in the past, and Chris Whitty, England’s Chief Medical Officer, states, “Stopping smoking is supported by the overwhelming majority of doctors, nurses and health charities. Who see the impact of this habit on vulnerable people.

According to polls it also has the support of a substantial majority of the public and the governments of all four countries of the UK. “Furthermore, this bill would significantly curtail the ability of e-cigarette companies to market to children, which is an absolutely unacceptable practice.”

Tobacco sellers: “Law is law”

Opinions vary on the street. Ali, who runs a convenience store in central London, played down the matter and assured that just as he can no longer sell cigarettes to people under 18, in the future he will conform to the age as per the law. Will take. “It doesn’t matter to me whether people under 18 or 25 or over 50 can buy it, I only sell the product to anyone who can buy it legally, nothing more than that, comply with the law here is done.”

Rehman, who spoke to the ABC from his store, echoes this sentiment: ”The law is the law, just like wine, my opinion matters little. I sell a lot of things and some are restricted by age and anyone who wants them has to prove they are of that age, period, but like drugs, there will be options for those who want it other ways. Want to get from.

But Michael, who works in a store specializing in tobacco and smoking products, believes this is nonsense because “if the law says there is an age of adulthood, which is 18, then every person has the right to smoke for the rest of their life.” They should be able to make decisions about their children and their bodies after that age,” he says, adding that he agrees that “the government treats us as if we were children.”