Young people support the idea of a smoke-free generation

Young people support the idea of a smoke-free generation, according to a new study They broadly welcome the idea of the Government’s smokefree generation policy and see it as a chance to free their generation from harmful addiction, according to a study led by the University of Nottingham.

Smoking tobacco kills more people than any other preventable cause. The UK Government are aiming for fewer than five in 100 people to smoke by 2030, however, one study estimates 127,500 people aged between 18 and 25 currently pick up smoking each year.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill Committee reports on Thursday 30 January and the Bill will return to the House of Commons for debate and final vote among MPs in the coming months.

If passed, the Bill will stop children who turned 15 last year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes or other tobacco products.

A new study, published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research led by Nathan Davies, from the Nottingham Centre for Public Health and Epidemiology, and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), set out to find out what young people in England think about changing the law on how old you must be to buy tobacco and e-cigarettes.

Mr Davies 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 smoke-free generation policy we wanted to find out if they agreed with it in principle and its implementation.”

The researchers held focus groups with participants aged between 12 and 21. Participants were chosen to include those from areas of different areas and for use of tobacco or e-cigarettes.

The focus groups showed that:

There was broad support for the smokefree generation. Most young participants welcomed the idea of preventing future tobacco addiction, seeing it as a chance to free their generation from harmful, entrenched habits. Young people had first-hand experience of the harm of tobacco; one 13-year-old girl said, “We were really worried about my mum’s smoking. She said that she was going to try and stop, but she really hasn’t. And it must be difficult because it’s not something that she really talks to us much about.”

A small minority raised concerns about freedom of choice or showed apathy towards the policy.

Young people called for strong enforcement. They believed that the policy’s success depends on strict penalties for retailers selling to underage buyers. They felt that, without well-resourced enforcement of offending retailers, the law wouldn’t be as effective or wouldn’t work at all. Many also asked for licensing conditions to be introduced for tobacco retailers.

Participants asked for a say in shaping and communicating the policy. They believed involving young people from the start ensures messaging resonates and helps politicians understand real-world tactics used to evade age restrictions. A 17-year-old boy said, “”I think youth involvement is really good and important idea because it’s important that young people feel they are the smoke-free generation”.

“The study conversations show it is really important that young people are involved in the design and implementation of the smokefree generation,” said Mr Davies. “It is reassuring that the general feeling was support for the policy. Young people want the smoke-free generation done properly – and that means the Government giving Trading Standards the resources to enforce it from day one.”

Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said, “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 smoke-free future for all.”

The full results of the study can be found here.