Doctors to vote on cigarette sale ban for those born after 2000

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Doctors are to vote on whether to push for a permanent ban on the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after the year 2000 in an attempt to protect the next generation of children from the deadly effects of smoking.

If the motion is passed at the British Medical Association's annual representatives' meeting on Tuesday, the doctors union will lobby the government to implement the policy in the same way it successfully pushed for a ban on lighting up in public places and on smoking in cars carrying children, after votes in 2002 and 2011.

Tim Crocker-Buque, a specialist registrar in public health medicine, who proposed the motion, said the idea was that "the 21st-century generation don't need to suffer the hundreds of millions of deaths that the 20th-century generation did".

"Cigarette smoking is specifically a choice made by children that results in addiction in adulthood, that is extremely difficult to give up," he said. "80% of people who smoke start as teenagers. It's very rare for people to make an informed decision in adulthood. The idea of this proposal is to prevent those children who are not smoking from taking up smoking."

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source: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2...dren-born-2000

I'm really not sure what I think on this. Obviously smokings bad and it causes nothing but problems, but it's not as if it will be hard to still get cigarettes and will only open up a huge black market for them. Also if it's only banned for people under a certain age they can just get older people to buy them instead. I think instead they should do more to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking (even though people are already aware) and perhaps follow in other countries footsteps such as Australia's, by using plain packaging for cigarettes rather than have designs on them as I believe (correct me if i'm wrong) it's been shown to have a positive effect.

I think thats regulation gone a bit too far. Though I do hate smoking.

In the 1950s to the 1970s, the government in this country got out of control and started meddling in economic matters with all sorts of rules and regulations imposed which made it very difficult to do business, hence the Winter of Discontent. In 1979, Margaret Thatcher and her government were elected to office to shake the state out of what were private issues and freedom, at least economically, was greatly restored.

Well today in 2014 - whether it's cigarettes, sugar, internet regulation, free speech, freedom of protest - it's clear that the jackboot of the state is now on our necks in terms of social issues. The problem is, where is our Mrs Thatcher who will free us from the interference of the state?

This is not the remit of the government.

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Originally Posted by The Don

Australia's, by using plain packaging for cigarettes rather than have designs on them as I believe (correct me if i'm wrong) it's been shown to have a positive effect.

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http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeeh...-it-to-the-uk/

Apparently not so.

In any case, plain packages are a great help for the black market. But then are idiot politicians capable of processing that obvious fact?

I hope it happens so I can make lots of money selling cigarettes to children

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Originally Posted by FlyingJesus

I hope it happens so I can make lots of money selling cigarettes to children

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This^

ATM it's about 50p per cigarette, so inflation will cause that to rise.

GET ALL THE LUNCH MONIES!

Some people who were born after 2000 are already smoking now, so perhaps making a later year ban (say from 2005 as I don't think too many 8/9 year olds smoke and then go from there. I don't mind if they ban them or not, but won't it look like there's one law for a certain set of people then another for others? For example, when someone who was born after 2000 turns 18, can they not go buy cigarettes as the legal age is 18?

idk i think it will cause more problems and too many obvious loopholes

at the same time i think its gd to eventually phase them out entirely but meh its tricky obviously

n no nooooooooo

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Originally Posted by Samanfa

Some people who were born after 2000 are already smoking now, so perhaps making a later year ban (say from 2005 as I don't think too many 8/9 year olds smoke and then go from there. I don't mind if they ban them or not, but won't it look like there's one law for a certain set of people then another for others? For example, when someone who was born after 2000 turns 18, can they not go buy cigarettes as the legal age is 18?

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Isn't it already illegal for 14 year olds to smoke?

And isn't the whole idea of this law to eventually try and restrict smoking to the older generations. So even in 2018, if you're 18, you can't buy them.

I think it's a great idea on paper, but surely it won't work.

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Originally Posted by Kardan

Isn't it already illegal for 14 year olds to smoke?

And isn't the whole idea of this law to eventually try and restrict smoking to the older generations. So even in 2018, if you're 18, you can't buy them.

I think it's a great idea on paper, but surely it won't work.

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The funny thing is, you get 12 year olds standing on shop corners asking people to buy them cigarettes - this will just raise to older people asking others to by them cigarettes, even if they are over 18.

It's going to happen, whether they like it or not.
If anything, making them more difficult to come by may even make it more appealing to those of younger ages. :|