British parliament debates strict anti-tobacco law that Shein and Co. are punished by France – will China take revenge on Dior or Louis Vuitton?

Britain wants to ban tobacco in the long term and gradually. The government introduced a strict anti-smoking law in the House of Commons in London on Wednesday.

The bill stipulates that no one who turns 15 or younger this year will ever be able to legally buy cigarettes in their lives. To achieve this, the minimum age for purchasing tobacco must be increased by one year every year from the current 18 years. This means that the number of smokers in the group of 14 to 30 year olds could be close to zero by 2040, as the government has announced.

“If we want to ensure a better future for our children, we must combat the greatest, entirely preventable cause of disease, disability and death: smoking.”said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The changes would save thousands of lives and free up billions of pounds for the NHS.

The consequences of smoking cost the British economy around £17 billion (about R19.2 billion) every year. This is significantly more than the tobacco tax revenue of £10 billion.

This move is quite controversial within Sunak’s Conservative Party. Nevertheless, Parliament is expected to eventually pass the law, also because the main opposition Labor party has given its approval.

The design is also intended to make e-cigarettes less attractive to young people. Sweet flavors and bright packaging, which mainly appeal to minors, should be limited. In principle, disposable e-cigarettes should be banned in a separate law. (rbu/sda/dpa)