[News Terms] British Society Roiling Over the 'Non-Smoking Generation Act'

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The 'Non-Smoking Generation Act' is a nickname for the 'Tobacco and Electronic Cigarette Act,' which raises the legal age to purchase tobacco by one year each year, making it permanently illegal for those born on or after January 1, 2009 (currently 15 years old) to legally buy tobacco in the UK.

The UK government aims to implement this law by 2027. Authorities will impose an on-the-spot fine of ?100 (approximately 170,000 KRW) on shops that sell tobacco to underage individuals. For electronic cigarettes, the law also bans disposable products and includes provisions restricting flavors, packaging, and sales methods that might appeal to youth.

Cigarettes displayed at a large supermarket in Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

By 2050, even 40-year-olds cannot buy tobacco; in 50 years, only those over 63 can purchase

This bill is modeled after New Zealand's 'Smokefree Environments Act,' considered one of the world's strictest. In December 2022, the New Zealand Parliament passed a Smokefree Environments Act banning tobacco sales to anyone born after 2009.

Starting in 2023, tobacco sales are prohibited to those born on or after January 1, 2009, with violators facing fines up to NZD 150,000 (approximately 125.23 million KRW). By the end of 2023, the number of retail outlets allowed to sell tobacco will be reduced from about 6,000 to 600, one-tenth of the current number, and the allowable nicotine content in tobacco will also be reduced.

Because this law is based on birth year rather than age, the number of people eligible to buy tobacco will decrease every year. By 2050, even 40-year-olds will be unable to purchase tobacco, and in 50 years, only those aged 63 and older will be allowed to buy it. This policy has been praised as the 'world's most advanced tobacco control policy' and has influenced countries like Australia and the UK to pursue similar 'tobacco prohibition laws.'

Ayesha Verrall, New Zealand's Minister for Research, Science and Innovation and Associate Minister of Health, who proposed the bill, stated at the time, "This is a step forward toward a tobacco-free future," adding, "Thousands more people will live longer and healthier lives." She also noted that the health system would save billions of dollars by not having to treat smoking-related diseases such as cancer, heart attacks, and strokes.

However, following a change in government last October, New Zealand's Smokefree Environments Act was set on the path to repeal and was ultimately scrapped earlier this year. The National Party, which had to form a coalition government after the regime change, made repealing the Smokefree Environments Act a condition for coalition negotiations with New Zealand's largest party, which supported the repeal, leading to the law's disappearance into history.

60% of New Zealanders oppose repeal... UK says "Passage will be delayed"

Public opinion is negative toward repealing the Smokefree Environments Act. According to a poll conducted this month by New Zealand media outlet One News, 60% of New Zealand citizens responded that the Smokefree Environments Act should not be repealed.

Unlike New Zealand, the UK appears to be delaying the passage of the bill as much as possible through numerous amendments. On the afternoon of the 16th (local time), the UK House of Commons passed the second reading of the Non-Smoking Generation Act with 383 votes in favor and 67 against, moving the bill to the next stage of parliamentary scrutiny.

Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Photo by AFP/ Yonhap News

Although it passed the first parliamentary hurdle, controversy is intensifying with opposition from not only the ruling Conservative Party but also within the Cabinet. Fifty-seven Conservative MPs voted against it, and 106 Conservative MPs abstained. Kemi Badenoch, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, opposed the law, stating it violates the principle of equality and that the burden of enforcement would be passed on to private businesses. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson clearly opposed the bill, saying, "It's crazy that the party of Winston Churchill, who was a cigar enthusiast, is banning cigars."

Nevertheless, the Rishi Sunak government is pushing for the bill's passage, believing it will save many lives. They claim that creating a non-smoking generation could prevent 47,000 cases of heart disease and lung cancer by the end of this century. According to the UK government, about 13% of the UK population, or 6.4 million people, smoke, and 80,000 people die annually from smoking-related diseases.

The Non-Smoking Generation Act will undergo committee review, report to the whole house, and a third reading before final passage in the House of Commons, after which it will be sent to the House of Lords. The final vote in the House of Lords is expected in mid-June. The UK daily The Guardian predicts that opposition within the Conservative Party may delay the bill's passage by demanding numerous amendments during the review process.