Tobacco sales ban garners support from Northern Irish minister

The bill aims to introduce a progressive smoking ban to gradually end the sale of tobacco products across the UK, so that anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, will never legally be sold cigarettes.

The inclusion of Northern Ireland in the bill will be subject to the agreement of the NI Executive and support of the NI Assembly.

Mike said, “The proposed measures in this bill offer a huge public health opportunity to reduce preventable death and illness. This is particularly important in communities where the prevalence of tobacco use is the largest contributor to health inequalities.

“Reducing these health inequalities across Northern Ireland is one of my key areas of focus and I am positive this legislation will make a very significant difference going forward.”