Northern Ireland’s Health Minister has said that he is open to the possibility of raising the minimum purchasing age for tobacco each year to stop future generations from smoking, reports the Belfast Telegraph.

Following Dr Javed Khan’s independent review into tobacco control policies in England and his subsequent recommendation that the UK Government raise the minimum age for purchasing tobacco, Northern Ireland’s Health Minister Robin Swann was asked what he thought of the recommendation.
When asked about the matter by independent MLA Claire Sugden, he said: “The aim of the recommendation is to create a tobacco free generation where young people below a certain age are legally prevented from buying tobacco products throughout their entire lifetime. “Whilst the Khan recommendations do not relate directly to Northern Ireland, the recommendations, along with the UK Government response, will be considered within a Northern Ireland context, particularly during the ongoing review of our tobacco control strategy and in the development of our subsequent strategic approach.”
Barbara Roulston from Cancer Research UK welcomed the Minister’s comments, saying: “We have a duty to prevent the next generation from suffering a lifetime of addiction, ill health, and even premature death.”
According to the Belfast Telegraph, around 340,000 people over the age of 16 in Northern Ireland smoke, with eight out of 10 smokers reporting they started smoking before they turned 16.