Push for legislation to raise legal smoking age in one Aussie state

The legal smoking age in on state would rise to 21 years old under proposed new laws that would be the toughest in the country.

The legal smoking age would rise to 21 years old, and selling cigarettes from vending machines would be banned, under proposed anti-smoking laws that would be the toughest in the country.

The laws, to be introduced to parliament next month by independent MLC Frank Pangallo, would increase the allowed age for buying a packet of cigarettes in South Australia to first rise to 19.

It would then rise incrementally each year until it reached 21 – three years older than the current 18 years of age requirement.

Mr Pangallo said the laws were about saving lives and improving health outcomes by making it as difficult as possible for young people to buy cigarettes.

“I make no apology for proposing new laws which will give South Australia the toughest anti-smoking powers in the country,” he said.

“The cost to the community across our public hospital and health systems amounts to billions of dollars a year.

“Yet we have a disturbing trend where the number of young Australians smoking continues to increase.”

Mr Pangallo said the UK parliament this week passed an initial vote in support of banning anyone aged 15 or under from ever buying cigarettes, which aims to create a “smoke-free generation”.

“Lawmakers have a duty to do whatever is in their powers to reduce the scourge of smoking in our community,” he said.

Independent MLC Frank Pangallo. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Emma Brasier

Health Minister Chris Picton. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Morgan Sette

Health Minister Chris Picton said “smoking is our biggest preventable killer” and the government would consider any measure to reduce its impact.

“The rate of young people becoming addicted to nicotine, including through vape use, is alarming which is why as a state government we have implemented a range of actions to tackle this health crisis,” he said.

“In March we banned smoking and vaping in a raft of outdoor public spaces including at outdoor swimming pools, children’s sporting events, beaches near patrol flags and jetties and outside shopping centre entrances, childcare settings, schools and hospitals.”

Mr Picton added that reducing rates of smoking and vaping was also a key focus of a recently-launched preventive agency, Preventive Health SA.

Mr Pangallo’s call comes after the British Prime Minister moved towards a total ban on tobacco sales in the UK by creating a “smoke-free generation”.

MPs have backed Rishi Sunak’s new law to increase the minimum age, currently 18 in the UK, by one year every 12 months, which would mean anyone born after 2009 would never be able to legal purchase cigarettes.

However, those who are currently allowed to buy cigarettes would not be affected.