UK agrees to ban cigarette sales for people born after 2008

Both chambers of Parliament of the United Kingdom have approved a landmark bill that will ban children aged 17 and under from ever legally purchasing cigarettes in their lifetime.

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill seeks to prevent anyone born after January 1, 2009, from taking up smoking, effectively creating a generation that will never be able to buy tobacco products.

Health minister Wes Streeting described the development as a “historic moment for the nation’s health” that will lead to the “first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm”.

Once it receives royal assent and becomes law, the bill will empower the government to extend indoor smoking bans to certain outdoor areas, including children’s playgrounds and spaces outside schools and hospitals.

It will also grant authorities new powers to regulate vaping products — including restricting flavours and packaging — and to prohibit vaping in places where smoking is already banned.

The legislation forms part of broader efforts to strengthen preventive healthcare and reduce long-term pressure on the National Health Service (NHS).

Hazel Cheeseman, director of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), described the bill as a “decisive turning point for public health” in an interview with LBC radio.

The Labour government had earlier moved to curb youth vaping by introducing a ban on disposable vapes in June last year, citing concerns over their appeal to young people due to colourful packaging and low cost.

The UK joins a growing list of countries exploring generational smoking bans. New Zealand passed a similar law in 2022 but later repealed it in 2023, while the Maldives introduced a comparable restriction in November last year.

According to the NHS, smoking in England caused about 75,000 deaths in 2024 and accounted for roughly a quarter of all cancer-related deaths.