If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come.
The UK has effectively finalized a “smoke-free generation” policy that will ban the lifetime purchase of tobacco for those born on or after January 1, 2009, Newsmax reported on the 21st, citing BBC.
The UK Parliament’s House of Commons and House of Lords reached final agreement on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill on the 20th, leaving only royal assent before it becomes law. The legislation will apply across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
The bill also introduces restrictions on e-cigarette use, banning vaping in vehicles carrying children, as well as in playgrounds, near schools, and within hospital premises.
Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said the measures would save lives, improve public health, and ease pressure on the National Health Service.
According to the Office for National Statistics, more than 5.3 million people—around 10% of adults in the UK—currently smoke, and approximately 64,000 people die each year from smoking-related causes.
The Department of Health and Social Care estimates that smoking costs the UK around $29 billion annually, and that tobacco spending contributes to around 500,000 households living in poverty. (Source: Gospel Prayer News)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17,NIV)
God, we hear the news that the United Kingdom has passed a landmark policy banning the lifetime purchase of tobacco for an entire generation. We lift up this nation as it takes this step in response to the devastating toll of smoking. May all forms of greed and addiction that lead people into bondage come to an end. Above all bring them before You to face the fundamental problem of their sinful nature. May our old selves, unable to desire what is truly good, be put to death, and may we be reborn as new creations in Christ. May the United Kingdom find its deepest satisfaction not in any earthly thing, but in You alone.
Prayer 24·365
prayer@prayer24365.org
