Should Ireland copy the UK’s generational ban on smoking? |
Mark Murphy: Yes. The Irish public wants a tobacco endgame
The UK made history at the end of April when it passed the Tobacco and Vapes Act. This landmark piece of legislation has global health implications and consequences across the island of Ireland.
Firstly, the Act prohibits the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after January 1st, 2009. As this age group gets older, they can never legally be sold tobacco. So over decades, a smoke-free generation becomes a smoke-free society.
The Act is not a prohibition on smoking, nor does it restrict the choice of people who currently smoke. Rather it diminishes the ability of the tobacco industry to recruit and addict new customers.
Secondly, the Act strengthens the regulation of vapes and other nicotine products, especially where products are cynically designed and marketed to target children. Crucially for Ireland, it will apply to all four regions of the UK, meaning children and future generations in Northern Ireland will be better protected from tobacco and nicotine harm than those in the Republic. Is that acceptable?
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As the only European Union country to share a land border with the UK and one with deep ties going back generations, it is time for Ireland, I believe, to follow suit.
Banning the sale of tobacco products to children born after a certain year would be utterly transformative for Irish society and our healthcare system. It is often forgotten that 4,500 people die every year from tobacco. Every week in Ireland, smoking kills nearly 100 people and causes 1,000 hospital admissions due to preventable heart........