The UK is moving forward with a groundbreaking legislation aiming to prohibit smoking in individuals born after 2009. This initiative has been proposed as part of a broader strategy to curtail health problems related to tobacco use and to ultimately create a smoke-free generation. As it stands, once the legislation is passed, any person born after the year 2009 will be legally forbidden from purchasing or using tobacco products.

In Japan, the legal age for smoking is currently 20 years old. However, smoking-related health concerns are a significant public health issue, and measures such as smoke-free establishments and hiking tobacco taxes have been implemented. This news out of the UK might prompt Japanese lawmakers and public health advocates to contemplate similar measures, especially considering Japan's large smoking population and growing health concerns.

Unlike in the UK, the US and the EU do not have plans to ban smoking for specific generations. In these regions, anti-smoking measures primarily revolve around raising the legal age for the purchase and use of tobacco products, alongside public education campaigns, smoking bans in public areas, and increased taxes on tobacco products.