In a bid to make the UK smoke-free by the end of the decade, a ban on under 25s buying cigarettes is currently being considered.
According to The Times, Javed Khan – who is leading an independent review on cutting smoking figures – is considering changing the legal smoking age.
Khan has said he is “thinking seriously about the age of sale”, reportedly looking towards New Zealand for inspiration – a nation which has some of the strictest smoking laws in the world. New Zealand have introduced a year-on-year age ban which prevents anyone born after 2008 from buying cigarettes or tobacco in their lifetime.
“Is that the right model? Is there [an argument] for raising the age to 19, 20, 21, or even 25?” Mr Khan said.
Mr Khan’s review is also looking at whether advertising campaigns on social media platforms used by young people could help in changing attitudes to smoking.
He said: “Just look at the Covid experience, mass marketing has a big effect, it really works.
“The government went hell for leather, it made an enormous difference in vaccination rates.
“So why not do something like that again, if we really want to save people’s lives.”
Khan’s anti-smoking initiative recommendations will be presented to the government’s health department on 22 April.
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