People from Suffolk have given their views on the plans to raise the legal age to buy tobacco one year every year from the age of 18.

The legal age to buy tobacco in England is 18, but with this plan, each year the age will rise by one year, meaning eventually, no one will be able to buy cigarettes, tobacco pouches or vaping tools in the country.

It also means that current Under 18s, won't be able to buy tobacco at all in their lifetime.

Josh Mallett, 17, from Sudbury, has been smoking for around a year. He said: "I think the age to buy cigarettes should stay at 18.

"Growing up through my teens, I have known plenty of people to smoke since their early teenage years, and this is due to them going to adults or purchasing fake IDs to buy cigarettes so I feel it would make no difference if they were to increase the age.

"I also think the government should consider the mental health aspect of teenagers smoking, as personally I got into smoking just before turning 17 due to mental health reasons and I think this plan is going to make people in the same situation as myself struggle quite a lot."

Vanessa Austin, from Tangham, grew up a smoker, with her entire family being smokers. She said: "Smoking is addictive, expensive and health-destroying but if you had told me that at age 30 I would have laughed and said it's my one enjoyment in life.

"If kids knew the effect on people like my dad having to be attached to two oxygen machines for the last few years of his life they may just think twice.

"I would like for smoking to be abolished completely but know that won't happen as it's a government money earner even with the hospitalisation and medical costs associated as people get older."

Nathan Wilson, 19, from Ipswich, said: "I don't smoke myself but especially back when I was at Stoke High School, I knew a lot of smokers who started at a pretty young age.

"I did notice a huge drop in smokers once vaping became a thing, but I still think that harder restrictions would only help prevent people from smoking addiction."

In an earlier poll on our website, 62% said the age limit should rise year-on-year, and 38% said no, with 173 respondents.