Is smoking ban a bold vision, or half-baked?
Rishi sunak’s ban on the sale of cigarettes to younger age groups means in theory that, eventually, no one will be able to buy cigarettes or tobacco. But apparently they’ll still be free to drink alcohol and take drugs!
Of course his idea has some great logic as, for years, gangs of smokers have been attacking a&E staff and acting antisocially in town centres at the weekend; and the police will be pleased that drivers under the influence of tobacco will disappear, making our roads safer.
DAVID BARRY, Maidenhead, Berks. it sEEms ironic that this Government wants to ban tobacco while other forces are trying to legalise cannabis.
CHRIS PATE, Worcester. in lEadinG the major ministerial backlash against the tobacco and Vapes Bill, kemi Badenoch said: ‘We should not treat legally competent adults differently in this way, where people born a day apart will have permanently different rights.’
the obvious way to deal with this is to ban the sale of cigarettes now to everyone, irrespective of age.
DAVID DUMAIN, Birchington-on-Sea, Kent. haVinG an age restriction on smoking which will be raised annually until eventually no one can buy cigarettes is an admirable but flawed idea.
it would be very hard to enforce. the new Zealand government introduced similar legislation but have since done a u-turn.
if the smoking ban were to be implemented, i believe those affected would still find ways around the ban.
CHAS KENNY, Ilford, Essex. makinG cannabis and cocaine illegal hasn’t stopped people consuming such products, so why should a ban on traditional cigarettes be any different?
and if people buy cigarettes on the black market, there is the danger of them being introduced to drug-pushers.
TIM MICKLEBURgH, grimsby, Lincs. i Was a smoker until i was 40. i was born in 1943 and just before i gave up, i was on 60 a day.
after being inspired by a heavy smoker friend who had quit (and enjoyed annoying people who tried to lure him back into it without success), i have not touched a cigarette since.
With a little willpower and a strong commitment you can beat the scourge of bad health and save money at the same time.
JEM TUgWOOD (cough-free for ever),
Worthing, West Sussex. attEmpts by any government to banish smoking within a generation are doomed. Remember prohibition in the u.s., and the gang violence and deaths that followed?
perhaps a better chance to persuade more people to stop smoking would be to extend the current ban on smoking to all open areas, i. e. everywhere outside the home.
M. COHEN, Huntingdon, Cambs. i aBsOlutEly agree with the ban. anybody born in 2009 or later who decides to smoke and ends up using the nhs for smoking-related illnesses should first have to give their credit/ debit card details and then be issued with an invoice for treatment.