Smoking in Stoke-on-Trent is still above the national average, this comes as Rishi Sunak announces changes to smoking law.

The latest figures from 2022 show that 16.3 per cent of Stokies still smoke compared to the national average of 12.9 per cent. 

The new smoking ban means a 14 year-old will never be able to legally buy a cigarette. This is because the age for buying cigarettes in England will increase by one year every year, this will effectively ban smoking.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has described his plan as the "biggest public health intervention in a generation". However, the new law would not ban vaping which has seen an increase in popularity in recent years.

Rishi Sunak wants to effectively ban smoking but not vaping (Nub News).

The recently appointed director of public health called the measure one of the best things we can do for the population. Stephen Gunther, director of public health: "Great announcement from the PM around smoking.  

"Additional resources are coming into the borough with regard to that, so we are cracking on and delivering it. My political plea would be for any support to get through parliament is one of the best things we can do for the population."

It is understood that regulatory services would be policing the law. Currently council officers are looking at what these changes mean and the additional burdens it would place on the local authority in terms of enforcement.

Concerns over whether the policy would push more children into vaping because of the ban were raised. Lorraine Beardmore (Con) said: "I don't actually think it's smoking, it always is vaping. 

"Kids aren't actually smoking, I can't remember the last time I saw a kid smoke but I see them all hanging around and they are all vaping and those kids have never smoked. My concern is that it's pushing more kids to use a vape."

Stoke-on-Trent City Council have been cracking down on illegal vape sales in recent months (Staffordshire County Council).

Stoke-on-Trent City Council have been cracking down on illegal vape sales. In July illegal vapes worth £30,000 were seized by operatives and in August six shops across the city were being investigated over illegal vapes and other items. Enforcement boss Councillor Amjid Wazir has previously said: "The sale of these illegal products in the city will not be tolerated and anyone who is found to be dealing in these products will face consequences."

Sarah Hill (Lab), cabinet member for children's services: "I absolutely support what the prime minister said on smoking. It is important to learn from what New Zealand is doing, in an article I read this morning one of the things was corner shops, who are very dependent on the sale of tobacco for their profits.

"It's how you work with them to change their practices in terms of how they can make a living because otherwise you're going to get a lot of people working against this."

READ MORE: Man arrested following spate of criminal damage across Stoke-on-Trent 

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