If the Labour party are voted into government in the next election, this could result in the total ban of cigarettes for sale.
The ground-breaking move would help the UK reach its goal of being smoke-free by 2030. According to shadow health secretary Wes Streeting, the current government needs to do more to achieve this target as it does not look on track to succeed.
Speaking with the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Streeting said: “One of the things that was recommended to the government in one of their own reviews was phasing out the sale of cigarettes altogether over time.”
However, Conservative leaders don’t seem to have done much to achieve its smoke-free ambition.
Although former health secretary Sajid Javid noted 15 different measures that could reduce the sales of cigarettes over time, little has been done to put these in action.
Among the ideas were raising the legal age of being able to buy cigarettes from 18 by one year every 12 months until 2030 when they would be banned entirely. Another measure was to actively promote vaping as an effective method to stop smoking by swapping cigarettes for vapes. This would help smokers to reduce the number of cigarettes they use and eventually quit.
The NHS could also do more to prevent people taking up smoking, as well as offering advice and support for those who actively want to give up. In fact, Mr Javid even considered providing an extra £125 million to the health service every year to boost smoke-free policies.
The incentive behind doing this was to cut down on the number of deaths from cancers, as one in four cancer-related fatalities are believed to be caused by smoking. Therefore, cutting on the number of people smoking would reduce the burden on the NHS.
Most people know the most common cause of lung cancer is smoking. In fact, it accounts for 70 per cent of all cases, including those who only smoke occasionally or are passive smokers. So, living with, or being around, smokers could also increase your risk of lung cancer, even if you never touch a cigarette.
Those who are unfortunately diagnosed with stage four lung cancer will only have a five per cent chance of surviving for five years following their diagnosis. Of course, the fitter and healthier you are, the better your chances of living for longer, which means carrying on smoking could significantly impact your ability to fight the disease.
If Labour does become the next government, it could follow in the footsteps of New Zealand, which has recently banned people who are born after 2008 from buying cigarettes in the country. Its aim is to prevent future generations from falling victim to smoking-related illnesses.
Mr Streeting said he is “genuinely curious” to see the impact of the new legislation in New Zealand.
He told the public: “We are going to have to think radically. What the government has done to the NHS is a disgrace. It is going to take time to fix it and fresh, radical thinking.”
Giving up smoking is no easy feat, so help yourself in whatever way you can to beat this habit and improve your health. Swapping cigarettes for disposable vapes has been shown to be an effective way to quit, as smokers can still hold something in their hands and enjoy a nicotine kick.
