Where due diligence is exercised on the part of the seller, the under-aged purchaser shall be liable for any penalty or fine resulting from the sale
"If the community is going to reduce the utilization of vaping and smoking, those are positive things are going to impact us
Long the libertarian poster child of overbearing market intervention, the policy is drawing interest for its potential to support farm prices, reduce the cost of farm subsidies, and promote conservation.
In effect, the law will stop children turning 14 or younger this year from ever legally being sold tobacco products - raising the smoking age by a year each year until it applies to the whole population , the stated aim being to ensure children and young people do not become addicted in the first place. The Government additionally notes that As is the case with current age of sale legislation, the emphasis will be on those who sell tobacco products - the Government has never and will not criminalise smoking. It is a high profile and striking announcement, having few, if any conceptual or legal precedents in UK policy and law - only New Zealand/Aotearoa have implemented a similar rising age-based sales ban (in 2022), which was subsequently been abandoned by the incoming Luxon/National Party government
