UK may roll out one of the world’s toughest anti-smoking measures, with free vapes for one million s

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is considering implementing one of the toughest anti-smoking measures in the world, which includes raising the legal smoking age.

According to a report by The Guardian on September 22, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is considering implementing one of the toughest anti-smoking measures in the world, which includes raising the legal smoking age. 

The Guardian cited government sources saying that Sunak is exploring measures similar to those announced by New Zealand last year, which include banning the sale of cigarettes to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. 

A government spokesperson responded to Reuters inquiries, stating: "We want to encourage more people to quit smoking and achieve our goal of becoming a smoke-free country by 2030, which is why we have taken steps to reduce smoking rates."

The spokesperson added that the measures being implemented include providing free e-cigarette equipment to one million smokers in England, launching a coupon program to encourage pregnant women to quit smoking, and conducting public consultations on mandatory health warnings on cigarette packaging. 

In May of this year, the UK announced new measures to prevent retailers from exploiting legal loopholes to provide free e-cigarette samples to children.