Smoking age ban policy will apply in Scotland

The new laws will target smoking cross the whole of the UK

Legislation to block the next generation of adults from being able to buy cigarettes will be introduced in Scotland as well as the rest of the UK.

The proposal by the UK government will gradually increase the age of sale for cigarettes, making it an offence to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.

Although health is a devolved matter in Scotland, agreement has been reached by all administrations across the UK for a four-nation approach to tackling smoking.

The bill, which was to be introduced at Westminster on Wednesday, also aims to bring in tougher measures on vaping.

The proposed legislation will grant Scotland the appropriate powers needed to enact the bill, but the Scottish Parliament will then need to give its consent via a vote in Holyrood at a later date.

Scotland's Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said the Scottish government was targeting a tobacco- free Scotland by 2034.

She said: "Smoking is a huge burden on our NHS and social care services and contributes significantly to health inequalities, which is why our goal is for a tobacco-free Scotland by 2034.

“Research suggests that almost one in five young people have tried vaping and we’re particularly concerned about how flavours are used as an enticement to children and young people.

“We will now consider how to use these powers, if passed by Westminster, with the consent of the Scottish Parliament, to benefit public health."

Mr Sunak has advocated for the new legislation.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated last October that the new plan would be "the single biggest intervention in public health in a generation."

However the proposal has been criticised by some Conservatives, including the former Prime Minister Liz Truss, who said the government needed to "stop banning things."

MPs will have a free vote on the matter.

The bill also includes new powers to further regulate vapes, in an attempt to crack down on children and teenagers using them.

Earlier this year the Scottish government published proposals to ban the sale and supply of single-use vapes in Scotland using existing environmental powers, which would take effect in April 2025.

Smoking rates have been estimated to have been declining since the 1970s, but there are still more than six million smokers across the UK.

Similar legislation was proposed for New Zealand, only to be scrapped last year due to a change in government.

In 2006 Scotland was the first UK nation to ban smoking in public places.