Children aged 17 or under will no longer be able to buy cigarettes and vapes, according to the new Tobacco and Vapes Bill that has cleared Parliament.
A final draft of the legislation - put in place to stop people who were born on or after 2009 from smoking - has now been agreed.
Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the UK, causing roughly 74,600 to 78,000 deaths a year. And this agreement means that ministers will soon be able to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including their flavours and packaging.
Health minister Baroness Merron said: “This afternoon marks the end of this Bill’s journey throughout Parliament. It is a landmark Bill, it will create a smoke-free generation.
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“It is, in fact, the biggest public health intervention in a generation and I can assure all noble Lords it will save lives.”
The current law on smoking in the UK
Right now, it is legal to smoke and buy cigarettes and vapes in the UK from the age of 18.
It's also allowed to smoke in most public areas in the UK, as well as in your own space, like your car and home.
When will the Tobacco and Vapes Bill come into effect?
Under the Bill, however, those born on or after 1 January 2009 will not be able to buy cigarettes.
Subject to approval from Parliament, the age of sale restrictions for tobacco will come into force on 1 January 2027, gov.uk states.
Lord Naseby, a Conservative former MP, acknowledged that the new bill will 'upset a great many people in that industry'.
He said: “What we really need is a proper understanding of how we educate people not to take up smoking.”
Lady Merron added: “I can overall assure Lord Naseby, as I’ve done on a number of occasions, about how closely we have worked with retailers, and we will continue to do so.”
'We have a chance to go further to protect public health'
Sarah Sleet from Asthma + Lung UK called it a 'groundbreaking Bill', as reported by the BBC.
"Now that this groundbreaking Bill is finally over the line, we have a chance to go further to protect public health and hold the tobacco industry to account," she said.
"Right now we have a postcode lottery, which is why the tobacco industry should pay through a levy to reduce the harm they cause by funding these crucial services across the UK."
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) reports that 2024 stats show 10.6 percent of adults (5.3 million people) smoke, made up of 12.3 percent of men and nine percent of women.
The charity warns that 'around half of all lifelong smokers will die prematurely and on average, people who smoke all their lives will die 10 years younger than non-smokers'.
"It is estimated that for lifelong smokers, each cigarette will reduce their life expectancy by roughly 20 minutes," it said.
"Smoking is the biggest cause of cancer in the world. It can cause cancer almost anywhere in the body. Being smoke free can prevent 15 types of cancer."
Anish Vij