Norwegian Medical Association wants to ban tobacco sales to citizens born after year 2000. (The Independent UK, Jeff Staufenberg)
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The Independent (UK) reported that the Norwegian Medical Association (NMA) is pressing the government to back its proposal for a ban on tobacco sales to citizens born after the year 2000, in a drive to make a tobacco-free society by year 2035. Dr. Marit Hermansen, the president of the NMA, told Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten that access to cigarettes was not a basic human right. “We have long had the policy of phasing out smoking by 2035. This is a measure to achieve this goal. We want a tobacco-free generation.
According to the article, in 2013 about 32% of the Norwegian population were smokers – a steady decline from 36% in 2008. Among young people, 7% had reported that they smoked daily, the Nordic page reported. Yet despite the NMA’s hopes, health spokesperson for the Conservative, Labour, Centre and Christian Democratic parties in the country told Aftenposten the idea was not currently feasible.