Rishi Sunak’s Ambitious Plan to Eliminate Cigarette Sales in England

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has declared that the proposed initiative to gradually eliminate the sale of cigarettes in England will represent the “biggest public health intervention in a generation.” During an interview with the BBC, Sunak emphasized the absence of a safe level of smoking when addressing concerns about restricting individuals’ right to choose. His strategy involves raising the legal age for purchasing cigarettes each year, ultimately leading to a complete ban on tobacco sales.

Under Sunak’s plan, Conservative Members of Parliament (MPs) will be granted a free vote on the matter, while the Labour party has indicated its support for the policy. However, there are critics who argue that this initiative may inadvertently give rise to a “black market” for cigarettes.

In the previous year, the tobacco industry generated over £10 billion in taxes, marking a 3% decrease from the previous fiscal year. Rishi Sunak unveiled this initiative during his keynote address at the Conservative Party Conference, asserting that it represents a crucial step in addressing the leading cause of preventable health issues.

When questioned about his commitment to banning cigarette sales while postponing certain anti-obesity measures, Sunak clarified that smoking is fundamentally different from consuming snacks. He stressed that smoking cannot be part of a balanced diet, and there is no safe level of smoking. Smoking is unequivocally the most significant preventable cause of death, disability, and illness in society, he explained.

Mr. Sunak emphasized that while measures to restrict choice are never easy, the goal is to prevent future generations from taking up smoking. Smoking is associated with an increased risk of various health issues, including strokes, heart disease, dementia, stillbirths, and cancer, which accounts for one in four cancer-related deaths.

Over the years, smoking rates have steadily declined since the 1970s. However, there are still over five million smokers in England and six million across the UK. Notably, one in nine individuals aged 18 to 24 in England smokes, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The concept of incrementally increasing the legal smoking age was initially proposed by Javed Khan, the former CEO of Barnardo’s, who was asked by government officials to explore innovative approaches to tackle smoking. At the time, the government, led by Boris Johnson, deemed such a move unlikely. Nonetheless, Rishi Sunak has endorsed this strategy to align with the government’s vision of making England smoke-free by 2030, with less than 5% of the population smoking.

This approach to raising the legal smoking age is similar to legislation being introduced in New Zealand, where the sale of tobacco products will remain prohibited for individuals born after 2008. It’s important to note that setting the legal smoking age is a devolved matter in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The Welsh government has expressed its intention to adopt a similar ban, while the Scottish government has its own plan to make Scotland tobacco-free by 2034.

The Chief Medical Officer for England, Sir Chris Whitty, has expressed support for this initiative, as have the majority of medical professionals and health charities. He dismissed claims from the tobacco industry that the ban would be ineffective.

Labour has pledged to “not play politics with public health” and is willing to provide the necessary votes to pass the law. However, opposition is expected from the libertarian faction within the Conservative Party, with former Prime Minister Liz Truss criticizing the party’s approach to bans.

Critics, including Christopher Snowdon from the Institute of Economic Affairs, have expressed concerns that the policy, if implemented, could lead to a significant underground market for cigarettes, which could result in lost tax revenues.

Despite the expected opposition, supporters like Cancer Research UK’s Michelle Mitchell view the change in the smoking age as a critical step toward improving public health and reducing the influence of the tobacco lobby. Deborah Arnott from the campaign group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) anticipates that these measures will expedite the day when smoking becomes obsolete.

Rishi Sunak’s plans to phase out cigarette sales represent a significant step in the ongoing battle against smoking-related health issues. While it is sure to generate debate and opposition, the potential benefits for public health are evident.