The government has proposed a new law to protect future generations of young people from the dangers of smoking.
Children who turn 14 this year or younger will be prevented from ever legally being sold cigarettes in England in a bid to create the first 'smoke free generation'.
Proposed new legislation will make it illegal for those born after January 1 2009 to be sold tobacco products in an attempt to phase out smoking in young people almost completely.
We spoke to people on the streets of Manchester to find out what they think about this proposed ban.
Children who turn 14 this year or younger will be prevented from ever legally being sold cigarettes in England in a bid to create the first 'smoke free generation'.
Proposed new legislation will make it illegal for those born after January 1 2009 to be sold tobacco products in an attempt to phase out smoking in young people almost completely.
We spoke to people on the streets of Manchester to find out what they think about this proposed ban.
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00:00 The government has proposed a new law to protect future generations of young people from the
00:05 dangers of smoking.
00:07 Children who turn 14 this year or younger will be prevented from ever legally being
00:11 sold cigarettes in England, in a bid to create the first smoke-free generation.
00:17 Proposed new legislation will make it illegal for those born after January 1st 2009 to be
00:22 sold tobacco products, to phase out smoking in young people almost completely.
00:28 We spoke to people on the streets of Manchester to find out what they think about this proposed
00:32 ban.
00:33 Trying to stop anybody from smoking is probably a good thing for a start.
00:36 I can't really disagree with it.
00:38 I'm not sure it will work.
00:40 No, I'm not sure it will work.
00:43 Because you can always get, there's always the black market isn't there and I'm sure
00:47 if anything that's banned tends to go underground.
00:49 I think we'll find it somehow.
00:52 My children both smoke because they saw me smoking I think when they were younger or
00:56 it wasn't quite so difficult to smoke and get cigarettes.
01:01 And they're probably regretting it too.
01:04 So I certainly do.
01:05 The banning of smoking within pubs and bars and that type of thing, restaurants, that's
01:09 really reduced the amount of people who smoke, hasn't it?
01:13 So that's proven.
01:14 So, you know, maybe there's a case for banning it completely.
01:17 I didn't even know that was a thing but I completely agree because I myself am struggling
01:22 with quitting.
01:24 It's only been three weeks but yeah, I think that's like a really, because I look left,
01:29 I look right, everyone is vaping, it needs to stop.
01:32 Like it really does.
01:35 It's gotten out of hand.
01:36 Yeah.
01:37 Yeah, I mean I agree.
01:38 I actually think vaping is worse than smoking cigarettes.
01:41 I think that should be dealt with first because you see even like 10 year old children now
01:46 vaping and it's a battery.
01:48 I mean if you're going to smoke a cigarette, at least that's tobacco, it's natural.
01:52 I think they need to deal with the vaping first.
01:55 Very torn.
01:56 I mean I'm a big man of free will and all this type of thing, however, it's obviously
02:01 detrimental to kids and it's a big killer.
02:04 The good point is obviously for the NHS, it's going to stop people getting ill, it's going
02:08 to save the country money, it's going to save families from having to deal with loved ones
02:12 dying, stuff like that.
02:13 But also we should have free will and we should be able to do what we want, especially in
02:17 this country who's a big advocate of that, I would think.
02:19 Well, I think there need to be some barriers for young people to start smoking but this
02:25 country is free.
02:26 I have a few people, a few friends who need to smoke for stress, for mental health and
02:30 if it does help, it's one of the reasons you need to let these people do, you know, to
02:36 smoke.
02:37 Myself, personally, I think it's not going to work because fair enough, if you're born
02:41 from 2009 onwards, you won't be able to buy it.
02:44 There are people that are going to buy or provide them the cigarettes so how does it
02:48 work?
02:49 Smokers are always going to find a way to smoke but something has to be done.
02:54 The NHS has pressure, you know, I have no family that have, somebody personally in my
02:58 family that have had lung cancer because of smoking so I'm hoping that it will decrease
03:05 the amount of people that are dying of this disease because of smoking.