British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has staunchly defended his proposal to gradually eliminate the sale of cigarettes in England, describing it as the most significant public health intervention in a generation.

During an interview with the BBC, Sunak emphasized that there is “no safe level of smoking,” addressing concerns about restricting personal choice.

Speaking at the Conservative Party Conference on Wednesday, Sunak outlined his plan, suggesting that the legal age for purchasing cigarettes and tobacco in England should increase by one year each year until a point is reached where they are no longer available for purchase.

Under this proposed strategy, the minimum legal age for buying cigarettes would incrementally rise, ensuring that a 14-year-old today would never be permitted to purchase tobacco in the future.

However, critics of the policy have expressed apprehension, suggesting that it may give rise to a black market for cigarettes.

During an interview on Radio 4’s Today program, Sunak was questioned about the apparent contradiction between his move to ban future cigarette sales and his previous decision to delay part of the government’s anti-obesity strategy.

In June, the government postponed plans to prohibit two-for-one junk food deals by an additional two years, a decision that garnered attention.

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In response, Sunak argued that smoking differs fundamentally from consuming snacks like crisps or cake, as it cannot be considered part of a balanced diet, and there is no safe level of smoking.

He stressed that smoking is unequivocally the most significant preventable cause of death, disability, and illness in society, labeling the proposed measure as the most substantial intervention in public health in a generation.

Sunak acknowledged that restricting choices is never an easy decision but emphasized that no one would wish for their children or grandchildren to develop smoking habits.

The concept of gradually increasing the legal age for purchasing tobacco was initially proposed by Javed Khan, the former CEO of Barnardo’s, who was tasked by government ministers to explore new strategies for combating smoking. At the time, the government, led by Boris Johnson, appeared skeptical of such an approach.

However, Sunak has now thrown his support behind it as a means to achieve the government’s goal of making England smoke-free by 2030, defined as having less than 5% of the population engaged in smoking.