Denmark announced plans on Tuesday not to allow future generations to smoke, banning the sale of nicotine products to all people born after 2010.
“Our goal is for all people born in 2010 and beyond to stop smoking or using nicotine-based products,” Health Minister Magnus Heunicke told a news conference.
“We are ready to ban sales to this generation by gradually increasing the age limit if necessary,” he explained.
Current rules prohibit Danes under the age of 18 from buying cigarettes or smoking electronic cigarettes.
However, 31% of people between the ages of 15 and 29 are smoking, the minister said.
In addition, tobacco is the leading cause of cancer in Scandinavian countries, with a population of 5.8 million people killing 13,600 people each year.
According to a survey commissioned by the Danish Association to Combat Cancer, 64% of respondents voted for this plan.
New Zealand, a pioneer in the fight against smoking, announced in December a similar plan to gradually ban tobacco sales by increasing the age at which cigarettes can be purchased from 2027.
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