People warn 'addiction takes away freedom of choice' as Rishi Sunak's smoking ban plans go ahead

MPs have voted for Rishi Sunak's plan to slowly eradicate smoking - and Wales Online readers in our comments section can't decide if it's the right move or not. If the plan is made into law in its current state, it will be illegal for those born after 2009 to buy smoking products.

Such a law would also include measures to make vaping less appealing to children. Tobacco use is the UK's single biggest preventable cause of death, killing two-thirds of long-term users and causing 80,000 deaths every year.

In a free vote in Parliament, some MPs argued that it was too big of an intervention by the government, and takes away freedom of choice for citizens. Commenter Timwood1 wrote: "It might be freedom of choice to smoke, but when you are an addict, your freedom of choice is taken away by your addiction."

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User Fella1971 said: “As much as I despise the Tories I must say I agree with Sunak on this one. Besides why would any sane person do something that is clearly going to shorten your life.” But Dyffrynteg said: “Yes, smoking is bad, but measures already in place have seen smoking in drastic decline anyway.”

JeffWales wrote: “As a person who has never smoked in their life, surely in theory this must be a good thing? Problem in practice I suppose is that it removes the human right to freedom of choice.

"Nevertheless, as a kid growing up with two parents who smoked I had to endure the smell in the air and on my clothes, so I have to go along with this being the right decision, and if it stops kids and young adults from taking it up then all the better!”

Stylo said they saw the point of No voters like Kemi Badenoch and Liz Truss, however: “I hate smoking - but I hate illiberal, nanny-knows-best intrusions into the personal sovereignty of adults more. Seriously, a scenario where a 43-year-old will be denied agency to make a 'wrong' informed choice that a 44-year-old could make is absurd.”

Billywebb77 said: “I can't see how UK government can justify banning smoking and then give alcohol a free pass. That doesn't make any sense.” Commenter Samllan wrote: “Are we a liberal democracy any more? Does the rule of law now discriminate between adults of different ages?”

Do you support the latest plans to eradicate smoking in the UK? Comment below, and join in on the conversation.