On Tuesday, English MPs voted in favor of a bill aimed at making the purchase of tobacco illegal for life for anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. From 2027, the United Kingdom would increase the legal age for purchasing tobacco by one year every year.
Could such a measure be applied in France, where nearly 12 million people, including 15.6% of 17-year-olds, smoke daily? "I remain very doubtful, a priori, about the possibility of pronouncing such a ban," says constitutionalist Benjamin Morel. In France, tobacco is responsible for 75,000 deaths each year. It is the leading cause of early mortality, the leading cause of cancer mortality, but also the leading cause of preventable cardiovascular mortality, says Didier Maus, a law lecturer at the University of Paris-2-Panthéon-Assas. public. For confidential support, call the Samaritans in the UK on 08457 90 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details.