A smoking ban?

[Phil Pascoe]

Will it/can it work? Is it a sensible aim?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Part of me says it should be up to the individual, part of me says yes, bring it on!

Not having had a cigarette or a cigar for nineteen years one hundred and eighty six days, I wish it was illegal when I was thirteen.
I suspect if the change is enacted it'll be the normal fudge - only selling tobacco will be illegal, not the possession or the use.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Increasing the minimum age by a year each year is an interesting approach. Not sure it will work given there already is an age restriction which doesn’t seem to be completely enforceable. That said it would be beneficial to discourage more from taking it up.

 

[Cobbs]

Be interesting to see in 60 or 70 years, when people in the 70's and 80's are getting asked for proof of age...

I don't really think it's enforceable and anyway, there are far too many things prohibited. All it will do is put money in the hands of the bad boys, just like it does with weed right through to fentanyl. People have always taken and will always take, drugs of one sort or another whether that be caffeine or opium - far better to educate and have a clean source, rather than put this in the hands of criminals.

And was there any mention of vapes?

 

[John Brown]

Will it/can it work? Is it a sensible aim?

I would say it's definitely a sensible aim, whether it'll work is anyone's guess. A lot of drugs are illegal, but still in circulation.
I stopped 20 years ago, and wish I'd never started.

 

[Jacob]

It won't work it will create a black market just like the other drugs policies.
The current regs seem quite effective, though they now have to deal with vaping.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

The NHS encourages vaping, but no one really knows how much damage this will cause in the future.

 

[Cobbs]

The NHS encourages vaping, but no one really knows how much damage this will cause in the future.

My Mum, now in her nineties, has always suffered with asthma. When she was a late teenager, her doctor told her to smoke **** to "promote a healthy cough to clear her lungs"!

 

[Spectric]

Have they done the sums, income from duty etc etc compared to the cost smokers add to the NHS and then if they have paid NI the savings in not paying out state pension due to early death.

I stopped 20 years ago, and wish I'd never started.

Smoking, drugs or both ?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

That was a point raised - who are the government to tax to make up for the loss of income?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My Mum, now in her nineties, has always suffered with asthma. When she was a late teenager, her doctor told her to smoke **** to "promote a healthy cough to clear her lungs"!

I remember on occasion years ago going to the doctor on a Monday morning when the waiting room was full of people queueing for their sicknotes - you couldn't see the other end of the building for smoke. I remember as a child my mother taking me to the doctor and both of them smoking Senior Service. Really health giving.

 

[niall Y]

I'm reminded of prohibition in the USA. I know that's bit extreme as a comparison. But, " Thou shalt not" type, legislation. applied to peoples vices. - I'm sure that's going to work.

 

[artie]

Not having had a cigararette or a cigar for nineteen years one hundred and eighty six days, I wish it was illegal when I was thirteen.

I stopped counting after a few years, It's been well over forty now, I reckon quitting smoking was one of the best decisions I've made.

 

[John Brown]

Have they done the sums, income from duty etc etc compared to the cost smokers add to the NHS and then if they have paid NI the savings in not paying out state pension due to early death.


Smoking, drugs or both ?

Both. Apart from alcohol.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Seems a good idea. Had I never started in my early teens (packets 5 Park Drive from the sweetshop near school) I would never have needed to give up.

It is unquestionably something the government should enforce to promote the well being of the whole community. The "add a year" tactic has been tried elsewhere and largely worked.

The economic arguments are probably not relevant - any consequential changes will emerge slowly over decades, and it is an analysis that could be massaged deliver almost any answer wanted.

 

[paulrbarnard]

The NHS encourages vaping, but no one really knows how much damage this will cause in the future.

There was an interesting piece on this on the Radio 4 Sliced Bread program last week. From a health perspective vapes are orders of magnitude safer than cigarettes. There are significant questions on the environmental impact of disposable vapes but the refillable type seem to be generally sound.

 

[Nail]

I think it’s a great idea and should have been done years ago.

Yep, I’m sure there will be some that fudge their age but it’ll slowly diminish as the years go on. At the point of it hitting 30 or so then it’ll be hard for the kids to start. We have to do something.

As to vapes - disposable vapes should be banned right now!

 

[artie]

I'm wondering how would it be possible to raise the minimum age past the age of majority?

 

[Bingy man]

I gave up smoking around 9 months ago after 30 odd years —a combination of cost , health and my sons request . The government could have banned cigarettes years ago but instead choose to collect the tax and duty while preaching to smokers via nhs and banning smoking in the workplace , company vehicles etc . I too wished I had stopped years ago . As for vapes they will probably say the same things in 5/10 / 20 years time as new conditions and infections come to light .

 

[Nail]

I'm wondering how would it be possible to raise the minimum age past the age of majority?

I’m not sure I understand what you mean?

Essentially what they would be doing would be saying only people born in 2024 (for example) or earlier can smoke.