this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2023
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Rishi Sunak is considering introducing some of the world’s toughest anti-smoking measures that would in effect ban the next generation from ever being able to buy cigarettes, the Guardian has learned.

Whitehall sources said the prime minister was looking at measures similar to those brought in by New Zealand last December. They involved steadily increasing the legal smoking age so tobacco would end up never being sold to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.

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[–] Syldon@feddit.uk 6 points 2 years ago (8 children)

You did that with alcohol. Prohibition does not work. It isn't working with drugs; it will never work with cigarettes either.

[–] spauldo@lemmy.ml 0 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (7 children)

Prohibition works most of the time. Do you know where to get your hands on some black tar heroin? I don't, nor do most people.

Prohibition of alcohol took something that was popular and made it illegal. Of course it failed. Making tobacco illegal would fail if they did it for everyone. I'm suggesting they make it illegal for people who aren't already addicted to it.

Edit: heroin, not heroine. Thanks, autocorrect.

[–] Uncle_Bagel@midwest.social 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Kids are already not allowed to smoke or purchase nicotine products but millions of teenagers are still addicted to nicotine and vape like crazy. How can you enforce a ban for an entire age group? And how could you possibly justify an arbitrary ban that allows half the population to purchase and consume something and prohibits the ither half? A law that bans women from purchasing tobacco because it is harmful for a fetus would be struck down by every court in the nation, so why would a ban that discriminates against adults based kn age be any different?

[–] spauldo@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years ago

Well, I guess we'll just make it illegal for everyone and the old timers like me just have to deal with it. Thanks, I hate it.

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