Poll: Majority support alternatives to generational tobacco ban
Public opinion is divided on the government’s generational smoking ban, according to a series of polls commissioned by the smokers’ rights group Forest.
Surveys of over 2,000 adults found that, given a choice, a majority (58%) support alternatives to a generational ban.
A quarter (25%) would keep the legal age of sale at 18, while a third (33%) would raise it from 18 to 21. Only 35% support raising the age of sale by one year every year until no adult can legally buy tobacco.
In a separate poll, three out of five adults (59%) said that when people are legally an adult at 18 they should be permitted to purchase cigarettes and other tobacco products. Fewer than a third (29%) said they should not.
The public is more evenly divided on whether policies to reduce smoking rates have gone far enough. Almost half (49%) believe they have gone too far (11%) or far enough (38%), while 40% think they have not gone far enough.
A majority (56%) believe the impact of existing tobacco control policies should be independently reviewed before further measures are introduced. Only 15% disagree.
Urging peers to amend the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which begins its Lords committee stage today [Monday 27th October], Simon Clark, director of Forest, said:
“The generational ban is an absurd policy that will drive more smokers to the black market and into the hands of criminal gangs.
“Public opinion is clearly divided, so we urge peers to oppose the ban and support a fairer, more pragmatic, policy that respects freedom of choice and doesn’t treat future generations of adults like children.”
Notes
[1] Surveys were conducted by Yonder Consulting in August and September 2025. Each survey interviewed a nationally representative sample of at least 2,000 UK adults online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults in Great Britain (aged 18+). Yonder is a member of the British Polling Council.
[2] ‘Public Attitudes to Tackling Smoking and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill’ will be published by Forest on Monday 27th October 2025. A copy will be sent separately to recipients of this email. If you do not receive it, it is available on request.
