THE GREAT DEBATE: Do YOU suppose the Authorities needs to be banning smoking by stopping 14 yr olds from ever shopping for cigarettes of their lifetimes – and can it work?

The nice cigarette debate has engulfed the nation this week after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak used his Tory convention speech to announce controversial plans to extend the authorized smoking age yearly in a bid to attempt to stop teenagers ever taking up smoking .

His plans would see the authorized age for getting tobacco rise yearly in England, which means a 14-year-old at the moment won’t ever legally be offered a cigarette.

Well being campaigners have applauded the concept – already launched in New Zealand – because the ‘single greatest’ public well being intervention in preventable causes of demise and sickness in a era. They argue it could scale back the strain smoking-related ailments at the moment place on the NHS .

Nonetheless, the plans have been closely criticised by civil liberties teams with complaints that it infringes private freedoms and will create a black marketplace for tobacco merchandise.

There are additionally issues in regards to the lack of income for the Treasury, with tobacco duties this yr estimated at £10.4billion.

Opponents have additionally highlighted the federal government’s contrasting stance on weight problems, with far much less aggressive motion regardless of big prices to the NHS.

So what do you consider cigarette ban? Do you suppose it is going to actually cease individuals smoking? Be a part of the controversy within the feedback.