Rishi Sunak May Outlaw Smoking In UK

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is mulling legislation that would prevent future generations from ever being able to purchase cigarettes.

Sunak is considering anti-smoking legislation similar to that introduced by New Zealand last year, which includes a prohibition on selling tobacco to anybody born on or after January 1, 2009.

Free vape kits, a voucher scheme to encourage pregnant women to stop, and consultation on required cigarette pack inserts are among the measures being considered.

The proposed reforms are part of Sunak’s team’s new consumer-focused push ahead of the likely election next year.

In a crackdown on e-cigarettes, Britain said in May that it would shut a loophole that allowed businesses to distribute free samples of vapes to children.

Separately, authorities in England and Wales called on the government in July to prohibit the sale of single-use vapes by 2024, citing environmental and health concerns.

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