The UK has approved a law that will ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, marking a shift in public health policy aimed at ending smoking among future generations.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill cleared both the House of Commons and the House of Lords and now awaits royal assent. Once enacted, the measure will introduce a permanent restriction on tobacco sales to those currently aged 17 or younger. Ministers said the policy seeks to reduce addiction and long-term health harm.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the move as “a historic moment for the nation’s health”, adding that “children in the UK will be part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm”.
The legislation forms part of a wider plan to address smoking, which remains a leading cause of preventable death and illness in the UK. According to government data cited by The Guardian, smoking accounts for around 400,000 hospital admissions and 64,000 deaths each year in England, with treatment costs to the National Health Service estimated at £3bn annually.
The bill also grants ministers new powers to regulate vaping and nicotine products. Restrictions will apply to packaging, advertising and flavours aimed at children. Vaping will be banned in cars carrying children, in playgrounds, and outside schools and hospitals, expanding existing smoke-free rules.
BBC News reported that outdoor hospitality spaces such as pub gardens and beaches will not be included in the ban. Smoking and vaping in private homes will remain permitted.
Baroness Merron, a health minister, told the House of Lords that the measure represents “the biggest public health intervention in a generation” and said it “will save lives”. She added that the government has worked with retailers and will continue engagement as the law is implemented.
Public health groups welcomed the decision. Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Asthma and Lung UK, said the law “will transform the nation’s health” and called for further support for smoking cessation services. Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said the measure signals that “the end of smoking… is no longer uncertain”.
The policy also aims to reduce wider economic costs linked to smoking. Estimates place the annual cost to society in England between £21.3bn and £27.6bn, including lost productivity.
HT
