NEW analysis by Cancer Research UK estimates up To 910,000 fewer cigarettes will be smoked in the East of England each day by 2040, if a proposed law to raise the age of sale of tobacco is successfully implemented.*
If passed by MPs, it would raise the legal age of sale of tobacco products in England by one year every year, meaning anyone born on or after January 1st, 2009 will never be able to legally be sold cigarettes.
As the legislation – introduced to Parliament on 20 March – now heads towards a crucial vote later this spring, the charity has released the staggering figure to urge the region’s MPs to make history by helping to create the first smokefree generation.
Between now and 2040, around the time the first of these youngsters will turn 30, the number of cigarettes that would go unsmoked across the UK would add up to tens of billions.
That’s if the Government’s best-case modelling of a 90% reduction in rates of young people across England taking up smoking is achieved.
This could have a profound impact in the East of England, where tobacco kills one person every 50 minutes and is responsible for around 4,900 cancer deaths each year.***
That’s why Cancer Research UK is calling on the public to get involved to help protect the region’s young people from a future of potential ill health and disease. People are being encouraged to email their MP to vote in favour of the legislation atcruk.org/SmokefreeGeneration.
