![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/rishi-sunak-announces-huge-new-change-for-smokers/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/0_Detail-of-a-man-holding-a-smoking-cigarette-in-his-hand.jpg&description=Rishi Sunak pledged to raise the smoking age up by 'one year, every year' so that a 14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette and their generation will grow up smoke-free Rishi Sunak has pledged to raise the smoking age up by 'one year, every year'. 'That means a 14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette and that their generation will grow up smoke-free,' he said. The Prime Minister said said smoking put enormous pressures on the NHS and at a "cost our country £70 billion a year" Describing smoking as the "biggest cause of preventable disease and death", he said the move will cut cancer deaths by a quarter. "I know not everyone in this hall will agree with this," the PM said, pointing out there's no "safe level" of smoking. Speaking on the final day of Tory party conference in Manchester, Mr Sunak said: "We must tackle the single biggest entirely preventable cause of ill health, disability and death. That is smoking in our country... It significantly increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, dementia and stillbirth." The Prime Minister said: "I propose that in future we raise the smoking age by one year, every year...We know this works. When we raised the smoking age to 18, smoking prevalence dropped by 30% in that age group." He added: "We have a chance to cut cancer deaths by a quarter, significantly ease those pressures, and protect our children, and we should take it." Mr Sunak said there would be a Commons vote on the change in the law in the future, but said it would be a free vote, describing it as a "matter of conscience". On his own conscience in regard to smoking, he said: "I want you all and the country to know where mine is. For a Conservative, measures that restrict choice are never easy. I know not everyone in this hall will agree with me on this. "But I have spent a long time weighing up this decision. Simply put, unlike all other legal products, there is no safe level of smoking. What has ultimately swayed me is that){kind=link}
Rishi Sunak pledged to raise the smoking age up by ‘one year, every year’ so that a 14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette and their generation will grow up smoke-free
Rishi Sunak has pledged to raise the smoking age up by “one year, every year”.
“That means a 14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette and that their generation will grow up smoke-free,” he said. The Prime Minister said smoking puts enormous pressures on the NHS and at “costs our country £70billion a year”.
Describing smoking as the “biggest cause of preventable disease and death”, he said the move will cut cancer deaths by a quarter. “I know not everyone in this hall will agree with this,” the PM said, pointing out there’s no “safe level” of smoking.
Speaking on the final day of Tory party conference in Manchester, Mr Sunak said: “We must tackle the single biggest entirely preventable cause of ill health, disability and death. That is smoking in our country… It significantly increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, dementia and stillbirth.”