Young people broadly support the Government’s policy of a smokefree generation, a proposal that aims to break the cycle of smoking and prevent future addiction, finds research led by the University of Nottingham.
The report, published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research, shows that young people see the policy as a chance to free their generation from tobacco addiction.
The new Bill proposes to make it illegal to sell tobacco or other products to people who turned 15 in 2024 or anyone younger. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill committee will publish its findings and recommendations at the end of January, and the Bill will return to the House of Commons for debate and a final vote among MPs in the coming months.
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the UK, and estimates show that 127,500 young people between the ages of 18 and 25 take up smoking every year. The Government aims to reduce this to less than five in every 100 people by 2030.
The researchers conducted a series of focus groups to find out what young people in England think about changing the law relating to the age at which you can buy tobacco and e-cigarettes. Participants were between 12 and 21 years of age and were from different areas of the UK.
Support for smokefree
Overall, there was broad support for the proposal of a smokefree generation, with most young people seeing it as a chance to prevent future tobacco addiction and break entrenched habits. Many participants had first-hand experience with smokers, such as their parents, whose health and inability to stop worried them.
Nathan Davies, from the Nottingham Centre for Public Health and Epidemiology, said: ‘Nearly all smokers start smoking when they are young, so if we can prevent people from starting in their youth, they are unlikely to begin in later life. Little was known about what young people think about the proposed smokefree generation policy we wanted to find out if they agreed with it in principle and its implementation.’
Young people believed that strong enforcement was necessary to make the policy successful. Retailers who sell tobacco to people born in or after 2024 would face strict penalties and fines. Without enforcement or licenses for tobacco retailers, the participants felt the policy would be ineffective.
Mr Davies emphasised the crucial role of young people in shaping the new policy. The focus groups highlighted that involving them and listening to their voices would help create effective messaging and provide valuable insight into the tactics used to purchase tobacco illegally.
Mr Davies added: ‘It is reassuring that the general feeling was support for the policy. Young people want the smokefree generation done properly, and that means the Government giving Trading Standards the resources to enforce it from day one.’
Freedom of choice?
A minority of young people voiced concerns that the policy would take away freedom of choice.
Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), added: ‘These interviews reinforce survey results which find strong support for the phased-out sale of tobacco among those who the policy will impact. MPs who are anxious that they are curbing the choices of future generations should recognise that ending the sale of tobacco is freeing young people from the risk of life-long addiction and chronic illness.
‘The next generation sees this legislation as a gift, not a burden and want to be part of creating a smokefree future for all.’
Reference: Perceptions of children and young people in England on the smokefree generation policy: A focus group study https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntae300
