Politicians in Hawaii have proposed raising the legal smoking age to 100.

If the measure is approved, it would effectively ban cigarettes for almost everyone in the US state.

The bill, put forward by Democratic lawmaker Richard Creagan and two co-sponsors, would see the age raised in increments.

Initially, the minimum age would be raised to 30 in 2020 - but there'd be further jumps ever year until 2024, after which only centenarians would be able to legally buy cigarettes.

According to the submitted bill, the gradual ban would allow authorities to adjust to the loss of tax revenue from a cigarette ban.

Hawaii already raised the smoking age from 18 to 21 in 2016.

The proposed ban would not apply to e-cigarettes or cigars - with the bill noting the likes of cigars are "usually not inhaled and they are therefore less harmful than cigarettes".

Speaking to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, Mr Creagan argued that the state has an obligation to protect people's health.

He claimed: “This is more lethal, more dangerous than any prescription drug, and it is more addicting. In my view, you are taking people who are enslaved from a horrific addiction, and freeing people from horrific enslavement.

"We, as legislators, have a duty to do things to save people’s lives. If we don’t ban cigarettes, we are killing people."

The bill is currently being considered by the Hawaii state legislature.

Lawmakers in the state are also considering a more traditional proposal to increase the excise duty on cigarettes.