England's smoking age limit should be raised every year: Study

Agovernment-commissioned review which came onThursday (June 9) recommended, that the age at which people can buy tobacco in England should rise by one each year, as this would be the first step in moving towards a"smoke-free" society.

In England, the minimum age today is 18.

Javed Khan, who is theformer head of children's charity Barnardo's, advised that the age should be increased annually so that one-day no one can buy tobacco.

"Without immediate and sustained action, England will miss the smoke-free target by many years and most likely decades", said Khan.

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The review also recommends 15 suggestions to help the government build a smoke-free by 2030.

"A smoke-free society should be a social norm,but to achieve this, we must do more to stop people taking up smoking, help those who already smoke and support those who are disproportionately impacted by smoking", he further added.

Notably, almost six million people in England smoke. It is the single biggest cause of preventable illness and death, with around one in four deaths because of smoking, according to the official figures.

A similar plan was introduced by New Zealand as well in 2021.

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