​​Ireland is set to become the first EU country to ban the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products to those under 21, under new legislation presented on Tuesday. In most EU countries, the age limit for buying both tobacco is 18.

The country is a trailblazer when it comes to curbing tobacco consumption. In 2004, it became the first country in the world to ban smoking in public places and currently has the highest levy in the EU on cigarettes. The new law is the latest attempt to curb smoking habits among younger generations, joining the ban on vape sales to under-18s introduced last November