Professor Jon Berrick will today brief Legislative Councillors on a private members’ bill outlawing tobacco product sales to people born after the year 2000.

Windermere independent MLC Ivan Dean has tabled the bill to be debated next month, which would block anyone not 18 years old by 2018 from ever buying tobacco.

Mr Dean’s push has broad backing from medical, dental and public health organisations as well as strong public support.

Professor Berrick argued existing smoking laws were sending mixed, illogical and dangerous messages.

‘‘There are signals being sent that somehow tobacco is harmful to people under 18 but a magical change in the body afterward somehow makes it less harmful,’’ Professor Berrick said.

‘‘The laws also send a ‘rite of passage’ message to young teenagers trying to emulate adulthood.’’

Professor Berrick said if the ban succeeded, it would soon become a self-enforcing social norm.

He downplayed arguments about restricting free will or becoming a nanny state.

‘‘Once people start smoking and become addicted they’ve lost that freedom of choice,’’ Professor Berrick said.

The bill appears unlikely to succeed if it makes it to the lower house, with the Liberals, Labor and Greens all signalling they will probably oppose the legislation.

Mr Berrick’s visit comes after research has revealed two-thirds of Australia’s 2.7 million smokers can expect to die from their habit.

The study, released this week, showed smokers were likely to die more than a decade earlier that non-smokers.

However, the joint Australian National University and Sax Institute research showed those who kicked the habit by the age of 45 could largely negate the lower life expectancy. Tasmania’s smoking rate hovers high above the national average.

First published as World eyes on state smoke ban by The Examiner.