The legal age for buying tobacco should rise every year to stop youngsters taking up smoking, the Prime Minister has said as he also pledged to crack down on the sale of disposable vapes to children.<\/p>\n
Rishi Sunak said more must be done to \u201ctry and stop teenagers taking up cigarettes in the first place\u201d as he set out plans to introduce a new law banning tobacco sales to anybody born on or after January 1 2009.<\/p>\n
He told the Conservative Party conference in Manchester that \u201ca 14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette\u201d, under new legislation for England.<\/p>\n
Mr Sunak also said more must be done to \u201crestrict the availability\u201d of vapes to children.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we are to do the right thing for our kids, we must try and stop teenagers taking up cigarettes in the first place,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause without a significant change thousands of children will start smoking in the coming years and have their lives cut short as a result.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI propose that in future we raise the smoking age by one year every year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat means a 14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette and that they and their generation can grow up smoke free.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Sunak added: \u201cPeople take up cigarettes when they\u2019re young \u2013 four in five smokers have started by the time they\u2019re 20.<\/p>\n
\u201cLater the vast majority try to quit. But many fail because they\u2019re addicted and they wish they had never taken up the habit in the first place.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if we could break that cycle, if we could stop the start, then we would be on our way to ending the biggest cause of preventable death and disease in our country.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the vote on the proposal in Parliament will be a \u201cfree vote\u201d and it is a \u201cmatter of conscience\u201d for MPs.<\/p>\n