REGIONAL health chiefs are backing plans to progressively raise the legal age for tobacco sales.

Under Government proposals, it would be an offence for anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, to be sold tobacco products.

The new law would stop children who turn 14 this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes in England, in a bid to create the first 'smokefree generation'.

West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership has published an open letter in support of the plans.

Signatories include Cathy Elliott, chair of NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, and its chief executive officer, Rob Webster.

According to the partnership, around 252,000 adults in West Yorkshire smoke – a prevalence rate of 13.1 per cent, higher than the national average.

A partnership spokesperson says: "The harms caused by smoking are considerable. It increases the risk of cancer, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and stroke, with at least 19,000 hospital admissions and 8,900 deaths as a result every year in West Yorkshire alone.

"Reducing smoking rates supports many of the partnership's ambitions and could increase the years of life that people live in good health in this region, and reduce stillbirths and neonatal deaths. Other considerations include reducing the gap in life expectancy between people with mental health conditions, learning disabilities or autism and the rest of the population, cutting waste associated with smoking, and fewer people becoming unable to work through smoking-related ill health.

"Raising the age that people can legally buy tobacco products will also help delay smoking uptake and reduce the number of young people who start smoking in the first place.

"Our letter encourages the Government to take all action possible to ensure that the legislation introduced is robust, and welcomes a commitment to increase funding for tobacco enforcement."

The Government says the proposed legislation would effectively raise the smoking age by a year annually until it applies to the whole population.

"The move has the potential to phase out smoking in young people almost completely as early as 2040," said a spokesperson.

"Smoking is highly addictive, with four in five smokers starting before the age of 20 and remaining addicted for the rest of their lives. By stopping young people from ever starting to smoke, the Government will protect an entire generation of youngsters from the harms of smoking as they grow older."

To read the letter, visit wypartnership.co.uk/news-and-blog/news/response-to-consultation-on-stopping-the-start-creating-a-smokefree-generation