This doesn't work as a policy

The aim of having an economy, of having a society even, is that more people get to have more of what those people want. In the absence of there being third party harm from their getting it of course.

This idea, this policy, fails that test:

The legal smoking age in England could reportedly be raised from 18 to 21 after a “radical” review into plans to make the country smoke-free by 2030.

An independent review commissioned by the health secretary, Sajid Javid, and led by Javed Khan, the former chief executive of the children’s charity Barnardo’s, is also expected to support new taxes on tobacco company profits,

If consenting adults wish to smoke then that’s up to those consenting adults - that’s exactly one of those things that they desire to have more of and the purpose of the whole having an economy, a society, thing.

Taxing cigarettes ferociously, sure, why not? Demand is pretty inelastic, we’ve got to gain tax revenues from somewhere, taxing things where demand is inelastic is a great idea. Pointing out the very large private costs to the smoker of smoking is equally justifiable. A free and vibrant market in alternatives - vaping, snus, heated not burnt products - is again just the standard liberal line. Folk want more of these things, there’s no harm to others, why not?

No, we cannot justify anti-smoking drives by “costs to the NHS” as people who die young from relatively swift complaints like lung cancer save the NHS money - as they do save cash for any lifetime health care system.

Eighteen year olds are indeed consenting adults. They have the vote, even if they are likely to vote for Jezza. So, they have to be trusted with the decisions - properly informed decisions of course - they make.

The driver of this mooted policy is in fact that we think you shouldn’t do that. A profoundly illiberal idea and therefore one that fails in the basic task of governance. As at the top, the aim of the entire idea and system is that folk get more of what folk want. Not, as here, more of what some clerisy will allow them to have.

No.