The United Kingdom’s backing of a ban on smoking for those born after 2009 has reignited debate stubbed out several years ago in Tasmania.
In 2015, similar legislation to ban the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after the year 2000 was drafted by then Independent MLC Ivan Dean, but failed to pass.
Dean is now calling for the bill to be re-introduced to parliament, given the potential benefits to public health.
“I’d just like to see somebody in the political area take it on again in this state,” he told Local Radio.
“We need it. It should have been enacted previously and I would hope that someone would take it on.”
Dr Catherine Barnsley from Smoke Free Tasmania said if Australia was to follow the UK’s ban, it would still have to be done at a state level as each state controls the sale of tobacco products and licensing.
Under the new UK law, the current legal age of 18 for cigarette sales, will increase by one year, each year.
This means people born in or after 2009 will never be able to legally buy cigarettes, with shops in England and Wales to be slapped with a £100 fine if they are found to be selling tobacco or vapes to underage people.
In Tasmania, the current maximum fine for selling a tobacco product to a person under 18 is $14,400 for the first offence and $43,200 for subsequent offences.
