Smoking costs Britain's health services 17 billion pounds ($20.6 billion) a year, he said, adding the government also needed to act on youth vaping. Campaign group Action on Smoking and Health welcomed Sunak's plans, adding they could hasten the day when smoking was obsolete. Imperial Brands (IMB.L), which makes Winston cigarettes and Golden Virginia rolling tobacco, also warned the ban threatened "unintended consequences". REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsGRADUAL IMPACTThe smoking policy would need to pass a free vote in Britain's parliament. Shares in Imperial Brands fell 3.2% to their lowest since March 2022, while shares in BAT, which has a lower exposure to the British cigarette market, were down 1.2% by 1357 GMT.

---

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak's, Winston, Phil Noble, Owen Bennett, Bennett, Emma Rumney, Michael Holden, Sachin Ravikumar, Alex Richardson Organizations: Conservative Party, Health, Tobacco Manufacturers Association, Imperial Brands, Dunhill, British, Tobacco, REUTERS, Japan Tobacco, Benson, Hedges, Jefferies, BAT, Thomson Locations: MANCHESTER, England, Virginia, Liverpool, Britain's, Britain, Europe, New Zealand, Denmark