Hard to police a ban on smoking

IN principle, I applaud any attempt to eliminate smoking. In practice, it will be near impossible to enforce. It will mean that in 10 years you can smoke if you are 25 but not if you are 24. In 20 years, 35 and 34 respectively.

Obviously, shopkeepers and police won’t be able to distinguish between those ages without ID. However, the deterrent effect will hopefully discourage young people from taking up smoking in the first place.

Gordon Pilkington, Epsom, Surrey

The latest legislation will supposedly ensure that young people aged 15 and under will never be able to purchase tobacco products. I fail to see how this can work. It is already illegal to sell them to anyone under 18, but walk around any town or city and you’ll see kids 12 and younger smoking. Stuart Magrath, Wigan

Failed PM Boris Johnson says the Government’s planned smoking ban is nuts, because his hero, Winston Churchill, smoked cigars. My wife smoked for 50 years. Perhaps had she given up, the many times I asked her to, she may well be alive after dying of lung cancer in 2020.

To any smoker who says they “can’t” give up, I would suggest visiting a hospice and asking to see any ex-smokers in the final stages of life. Ian Pyke Crawley, West Sussex

I can just see it now. Saturday afternoon at the local newsagents and all hell breaks loose as the shopkeeper faces a barrage of abuse from people claiming to be the right age to buy cigarettes. There will surely be a rise in attacks as a result?

Tobacco is highly addictive and people who are hooked will do anything to get their fix.

I think this government needs to think through policies first before coming up with bills that won’t work in practice. Steven Lewis, Carlisle

I agree that stopping people being able to buy tobacco in the first place is the right thing to do. Banning it is the only way to stop addictions forming at a young age but I do have concerns about how this will work in practice.

This will be a tough one to police that’s for sure.

Sylvie Marks, North London

Just when you thought the Government could not get anything else wrong they try to push through a ban to stop people born after 2009 from smoking. How on earth can it be policed? People will get their mates to buy them for them. They should keep up with banning migrants in boats before they start on another stupid bill. lan Robinson, Liverpool

I’m all for a smoking ban but am concerned about logistics. It just doesn’t seem feasible. I think there should be a ban on under-21s buying cigarettes and the prices should go up to make sure it’s more difficult to start at a young age. Teens could get other people to buy them for them but put as many obstacles in their way as you can. Greg Barton, Warrington