Scotland is being urged to stub out the next generation of smokers – by following a trailblazing approach taken more than 10,000 miles away.
A new law has been tabled in New Zealand which will prevent everyone currently under 14 from ever being able to legally buy tobacco in their lifetime.
While smoking rates have been falling there, health chiefs felt more should be done, leading to the new ban which is due to be enacted next year.
The move has sparked calls for the likes of Scotland to consider a similar policy.
New Zealand’s ‘bold’ idea
Professor Steve Turner, a consultant paediatrician with NHS Grampian, described the policy as a “bold” way of breaking down barriers.
“I see lots of children whose parents smoke,” he said. “And I’ve yet to meet a parent who wants their child to smoke.
“I think they want to protect their children from the harmful effects of smoke, but some of them can’t.
Prof Turner, who is also a child healthcare expert at Aberdeen University, added: “Humans are an interesting species.
“You can have a picture that shows you what terror and horror might be ahead if you start smoking, but people still buy it.
“In Scotland it’s illegal to sell cigarettes to underage teens.
“Unfortunately, people are able to buy them once they reach their 18th birthday.”
Despite the warnings on packaging, many young adults will still buy cigarettes.
‘Acceptable downsides’
Concerns have been raised that the New Zealand law change will have some considerable disadvantages.
The number of shops able to sell cigarettes will be slashed from 8,000 to just 500, and there are fears it could lead to an increase in black market dealings.
Prof Turner added: “People already addicted to nicotine will object or say it’s their right [to smoke].
“The manufacturers and people who sell cigarettes will lose.
“There will be what I would regard as acceptable downsides to essentially drawing a line to selling tobacco.”
‘We must go further’
It’s estimated that one in four heart attacks and three-quarters of lung cancer cases are directly related to smoking.
The chemicals found in cigarettes cause the walls in your arteries to become sticky, with fatty material clinging to them and causing clogs.
The Scottish Government is aiming to have a smoke-free generation by 2034, by which time it is hoped less than 5% of adults will smoke.
Current estimates put that figure for 2021 nearer 17%, but these numbers have been falling in recent years.
Jonathan Roden, policy and public affairs manager at the British Heart Foundation, has called on Scotland to continue its world-leading efforts when it comes to smoking.
“We were the first country in the UK to ban smoking in enclosed public spaces,” he said,.
“[This] move has had a positive impact on our nation’s health over the last 15 years.
“However, we must go further to help people across the country live longer, healthier lives.
“The announcement from New Zealand shows the many global efforts taking place to reduce the damaging effects of smoking.
“It is imperative on us all to have bold ambitions to achieve these aims.”
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