Professor Sir Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, criticized any attempt to portray the problem as a matter of “freedom of choice”.
He said: “Lobbyists in the cigarette industry will try to turn this into a debate between health and freedom. This is the most dishonest debate you can imagine.
“Most people who smoke want to quit, but they can’t because the cigarette industry has made them addicted at a very young age. They can not. This is not freedom of choice.
“Smoking causes a rapid deterioration in the health of people around a smoker. They do not choose to smoke, but they still suffer from it. This is not freedom of choice.
“The baby in the belly of a smoking pregnant woman does not choose to smoke. If you’re for freedom, you’re absolutely not for this addictive industry that kills so many people. “
Campaigners praise the “ambitious” report
Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said the report was “ambitious” and said the poll suggested the public supported stronger government intervention to tackle smoking.
“Only by making smoking obsolete can the government fulfill its mission of equalizing health and well-being,” she said.
Michelle Mitchell, CEO of Cancer Research UK, said: “Smoking is the biggest cause of cancer, with one in four deaths from all cancers being rated as smoking in the UK. The scale of the problem is undeniable, but Britain is not yet on track to become smoke-free by 2030. And for those most in need, this will not be achieved until the mid-1940s.
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