Tobacco giant Philip Morris threatened legal action in an attempt to block Rishi Sunak’s plans to phase out smoking. A parliamentary vote is due to take place next month about landmark legislation which would raise the age at which people can buy tobacco products – currently 18 – by a year, every year.
Health officials feared that the legal threat over the matter could have ended up in the High Court, causing lengthy delays before any laws could be passed. » | Laura Donnelly, Health Editor and Robert Mendick, Chief Reporter |Thursday, January 18, 2024
This law should never be passed. It is undemocratic and stupid. If the worst a young person does in life is smoke a few cigarettes, he'll be doing pretty well. Young people these days, I am told, are more likely to snort cocaine than light up! So does this silly man think that we will be living in a health utopia if all people stop smoking cigarettes? If he does, the man is very naïve.
In an age in which Western countries are busy relaxing laws on marijuana and cannabis, it seems rather asinine to try and pass legislation for something relatively far less harmful than drugs. It happens to be a fact that cigarette smoking does not cause lung cancer in all smokers. In fact, it DOES NOT cause lunhg cancer in more than 5 - 10% of smokers. This study suggests the reason why this might be so.
Discourage smoking by all means, but don't take a person's right to smoke away from him/her. What will be next? The right to enjoy a drink of alcohol? If this man is allowed to remain in power, it shouldn't surprise us. The man ios a non-smoking teetotaller. It is time for him to retire to California. They like people like that over there. Unfortunately, Keir Starmer is no better. – © Mark Alexander
