In a decade or two, we might well look back and wondering why this didn’t happen earlier, everywhere. Smoking contributes to nearly 10 percent of deaths worldwide – so the UK is banning it. Starting next year, anyone born after January 1, 2009 won’t be able to buy tobacco, ever. When I first heard of this, I was surprised that such a drastic measure had mainstream political support. And I wondered: Will this really work? The data we have says: yes, it might indeed.

From Weekly Filet #572, in May 2026.