Kathmandu. The UK has passed a historic bill to impose a long-term ban on the purchase of cigarettes with the goal of protecting future generations from smoking, which is seen as a major turning point in the health sector. This law passed by Parliament has given a clear indication that the next generation will gradually move away from the reach of cigarettes.

Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, an anti-smoking organization, said the breakthrough comes after decades of campaigning to control smoking. He described the move as a decisive achievement for public health protection.

According to the bill on tobacco products and vapes, people born after December 31, 2008, will not be able to buy cigarettes for life. It will remove the current age-based limit and introduce a system of raising the minimum age every year, so that today’s teenagers will be deprived of buying cigarettes in the future.

The law will require the formal approval of King Charles III before it can take effect, which is generally considered only a formal process. The government will then be able to enforce stricter regulations on the flavoring, packaging and distribution of tobacco products, vaping devices and nicotine-derived products.

Currently, the UK prohibits the sale of cigarettes, tobacco products or vapes to anyone under the age of 18. But the new law has made this provision more stringent and has led to the end of smoking in the long term. This is why the UK has now become one of the countries with the strictest smoking control policy in the world. Earlier in 2022, New Zealand had introduced a similar law, but the previous government repealed it. The UK’s move is presented as a long-term policy commitment.

According to statistics, the number of smokers in the UK has fallen by almost two-thirds since the 1970s. But there are still about 6.4 million people, or about 13 percent of the total population, smoking. Government statistics show that about 80,000 people die each year due to smoking, making it the biggest preventable cause of death, disability and poor health.

Health Minister Wes Stretting has said he believes the new law will make Britain’s children the “first smoke-free generation”. He says it will protect future generations from lifelong addiction and the serious health risks it can cause.