The British Parliament passed the first vote on a bill banning the sale of cigarettes to those born after January 1, 2009.
This bill was introduced by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, but dozens of his party members voted against it.
In total, the bill was supported by 383 deputies, against – 67. This means that it will go to the next stage of consideration in the parliament, where amendments can be made to it.
The tobacco and vaping bill aims to ban children born after 2009 from buying tobacco products. This is one of the main political initiatives of Sunak on the eve of the parliamentary elections that will be held this year.
Sunak’s plan to introduce some of the world’s toughest anti-tobacco rules has angered some members of his ruling Conservative Party, including former prime ministers Liz Truss and Boris Johnson, who believe the state should not interfere in how people live their lives.
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Sunak said he would tackle “the single largest cause of ill-health, disability and death that is completely preventable”.
A similar law in New Zealand was repealed this year by the new coalition government before it came into force.
As reported by Ukrinform, the British government plans to ban the sale of disposable vapes and limit their range.
And since January, Australia has banned the import of disposable electronic cigarettes as part of the fight against nicotine addiction among minors.
