This new bill could wipe out smoking – the only losers would be those who profit from it | Chris Whitty

The great majority of smokers wish they had never started, but their choice was taken away at a young age by marketing that deliberately promoted addiction to nicotine.

No child or young person turning 15 from this year on will ever legally be sold a cigarette or other forms of tobacco, leading over time to a smoke-free generation.

Stopping smoking is backed by the overwhelming majority of doctors, nurses and health charities, who see the effects of the habit on vulnerable people.

In addition, the bill will substantially reduce the ability of vape companies to market to children, an utterly unacceptable practice.

Disparities in poor birth outcomes between the most affluent and the most deprived areas are deeply depressing – smoking is one driver of them that we can and should prevent.

If passed, the smoke-free generation this bill proposes would be a major step forward in public health, with a substantial positive effect on preventing disease, disability and death long into the future.