What’s the point in a Generational Smoking Ban?

With the Tobacco and Vapes Bill travelling through the House of Lords, I think it’s high time we looked at the data justifying this almost unprecedented assault on liberty. Public health lobbyists and their politicians argue that without the incoming Generational Smoking Ban, smoking would continue to be prevalent amongst young people (16-24), which is when the vast majority of smokers initiate their lifetime consumption habit.

So, what happens to this argument – the fundamental argument behind the Generational Tobacco and Vapes BIll – when we look at the data provided by the ONS? Look at the graph below.

It turns out that this ‘onboarding’ rate is falling dramatically in recent years amongst young people. In 2018, as lockdown was first introduced, smoking amongst young people skyroc