YAHOO! SPORT: Rishi Sunak is facing fresh demands to axe his “nanny state” smoking ban after the flagship policy that it followed was torn up by the New Zealand government.
The Prime Minister announced a phased ban on cigarettes last month, with the age of sale rising by one year every year from 2027 onwards under the plans.
But Conservative MPs urged him to change course after New Zealand’s recently elected coalition government tore up the country’s own proposals to prohibit anyone born after 2008 from ever buying tobacco.
Christopher Luxon, the incoming prime minister, confirmed he would abolish legislation passed by Jacinda Ardern, one of his Left-wing predecessors, in December last year, shortly before Ms Ardern’s unexpected departure from politics.
While Downing Street insisted it was “committed” to pressing ahead with the smoking ban – which it now looks set to become the only country in the world to introduce – senior Tory backbenchers called on Mr Sunak to think again.
Seeing common sense
Philip Davies, the MP for Shipley, said: “I commend the New Zealand government for seeing common sense, and I very much hope the UK Government will follow suit. » | Dominic Penna | Friday, November 24, 2023
It is encouraging to see that New Zealand is ditching Jacinda Adern's silly smoking ban for the young. It was a hare-brained idea from the very start. It was also undemocratic and a policy typical of policies a Nanny State would introduce. It is socialist and meddlesome at its very core.
The politically-naïve Rishi Sunak will also have to abandon this stupid policy. It is totally unworkable. Especially in an international world. What, for example, would happen if one of these young people went abroad to work or vacation and took up the smoking habit whilst abroad, then returned to the UK? Does Rishi Sunak have plans to jail such people for enjoying a puff? Or what other plans does he have for them in his health Utopia? Moreover, what will happen if a person marries someone from abroad who already smokes and where smoking is legal for a person of that age? Sunak clearly hasn't properly thought through this ludicrous policy. Further, introducing such a stupid ban will bring with it no end of policing and enforcing difficulties. Stupid is as stupid does. – © Mark Alexander
