Rishi Sunak is under fire as he bids to crackdown on smoking in Britain.
The Prime Minister unveiled radical plans at the Conservative Party conference that promise a significant shake up to public health.
Journalist Christopher Snowdon hit out at the plans on GB News, suggesting they will not have the desired impact.
The Prime Minister is hopeful that his plans will eventually ease pressure on the NHS, with the annual cost to society standing at around £17 billion, with a cost of £22.4 billion each year to the NHS alone.
Rishi Sunak's latest plan is facing criticism
PA / GB NEWS
In a morbid warning to the Tory Government, Snowdon said that smokers end up “subsidising” non-smokers, easing pressure on the NHS unintentionally as a result.
He branded the plan “delusional” as the legal rise for tobacco promises to rise every year in a bid to stop youngsters taking up smoking.
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“It’s like the wicker man or something, idiot villagers going after someone because the crops are failing”, he said.
“Rather than deal with the problems with the NHS, they just scapegoat fat people and smokers.
“The evidence is really clear in terms of economics literature.
“Smokers use less healthcare across their lifetime because their lifetimes are shorter, they take less out of their pensions.
Rishi Sunak is under pressureGB News“Smokers are subsidising non-smokers.”
Sunak said more must be done to “try and stop teenagers taking up cigarettes in the first place” as he set out plans to introduce a new law banning tobacco sales to anybody born on or after January 1 2009.
He told the Conservative Party conference in Manchester that “a 14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette”, under new legislation for England.
Sunak also said more must be done to “restrict the availability” of vapes to children.
Christopher Snowdon spoke to GB News about the proposed smoking ban
GB NEWS
“If we are to do the right thing for our kids, we must try and stop teenagers taking up cigarettes in the first place,” he said.
“Because without a significant change thousands of children will start smoking in the coming years and have their lives cut short as a result.”
He said the vote on the proposal in Parliament will be a “free vote” and it is a “matter of conscience” for MPs.
Labour said the party “will not play politics with public health” and it would “lend” the Prime Minister the votes to get the law passed.
Downing Street could not specify when a free vote on the crackdown on buying cigarettes will be held, but the Prime Minister’s press secretary said: “Rishi Sunak is a man in a hurry.”
Downing Street said it expects that the plans will mean up to 1.7 million fewer people smoking by 2075.
On vapes, the Prime Minister said: “As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends right now is the rise in vaping amongst children – one in five children have used vapes.
“We must act before it becomes endemic.
“So we will also bring forward measures to restrict the availability of vapes to our children, looking at flavours, packaging displays and disposable vapes.”