Over half of adults in Britain (55%) would support options other than a total ban on the legal sale of tobacco to future generations of adults, a new poll has found.
According to the survey by the smokers’ rights group Forest, a quarter (24%) would support keeping the legal age of sale at 18, with 31 per cent in favour of raising it to 21.
Less than two in five respondents (39%) said they would support a generational ban which will raise the age of sale of tobacco by one year every year so future generations of adults will never legally be sold tobacco.
Among 18-24 year-olds, two-thirds (66%) would support options other than a generational ban, nearly a third (30%) would keep the legal age of sale at 18, while 36 per cent would raise it from 18 to 21.
Given a choice of options, only 28 per cent of 18-24 year-olds would support a ban on the sale of tobacco to future generations of adults, the survey of 2,000 adults, conducted by Yonder Consulting on 17-18 March, found.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which proposes to increase the legal age for tobacco sales by one year every year, starting in 2027, has been passed by the House of Commons on Wednesday.
