According to a new poll, 55% of adults in Britain would support options other than a total ban on the legal sale of tobacco to future generations of adults.
24% say they would support keeping the legal age of sale at 18, with 31% in favour of raising it to 21.
Less than two in five respondents (39%) said they would support a generational ban which will raise the age of sale of tobacco by one year every year so future generations of adults will never legally be sold tobacco.
(6% said ‘don’t know’).
According to the survey of 2,000 adults, two-thirds of 18-24 year-olds (66%) would support options other than a generational ban.
Almost a third (30%) of 18-24 year-olds would keep the legal age of sale at 18, while 36% would raise it from 18 to 21.Given a choice of options, only 28% of 18-24 year-olds would support a ban on the sale of tobacco to future generations of adults.
(6% of 18-24 year-olds said ‘don’t know’.)
The poll was commissioned by the smokers’ rights group Forest and conducted by Yonder Consulting on 17-18 March 2025.
The report stage of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill takes place in the House of Commons on Wednesday March 26.
Amendments have been tabled that will remove the generational ban from the Bill, or replace it with a clause that will raise the age of sale from 18 to 21.
