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- Government creates the UK's first smoke-free generation by phasing out tobacco sales
- Lifesaving legislation the most significant public health reform in generations
- New law will protect children from smoking and vaping – alongside record funding to help support millions of adults to quit.
Future generations will now be saved from the harms of smoking as the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, becomes law.
The Bill has been granted Royal Assent today, delivering a historic step towards a smoke-free UK and protecting people from the harms of tobacco by making it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009.
This world-leading legislation means today’s children will never legally be sold cigarettes, breaking the cycle of addiction and disadvantage that has persisted for decades.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said:
“This legislation marks a turning point for the nation’s health. By ending the cycle of tobacco addiction for future generations, we are taking one of the boldest steps in decades to prevent illness before it even begins.
“For too long, smoking has claimed lives, widened inequalities, and placed avoidable pressure on our health services. This law changes that trajectory—protecting young people from ever starting, while backing current smokers with the support they need to quit for good.
“A smoke-free generation is now within reach, and this government is determined to deliver a healthier, fairer future for everyone.”
Smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death, responsible for around 80,000 deaths a year in the UK, and is a major driver of cancer, heart disease and stroke. It also places a significant burden on the NHS and wider economy.
The new law delivers a core manifesto commitment of this government and is a central pillar of the 10 Year Health Plan, supporting the shift from sickness to prevention and helping people live longer, healthier lives.
It also helps tackles the challenge of youth vaping, protecting future generations from the risks of nicotine addiction, while still enabling vapes to be accessible and effective to adult smokers seeking to quit.
The Act includes measures to ban the advertising and sponsorship of vapes and nicotine products, as well as powers to restrict their packaging, branding and displays that are designed to appeal to children.
It gives powers to strengthen smoke-free protections in certain public places, particularly to protect children and medically vulnerable people from second-hand smoke.
Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, said:
“Smoking causes serious harm across the life course and remains a major cause of diseases including lung diseases, heart disease, stroke, bad pregnancy outcomes and premature death.
“Second-hand smoke is also extremely dangerous, particularly for children, pregnant women, and people with medical conditions.
“Cigarettes take choice away by addicting people and most smokers wish they had never started but are trapped.
“Marketing vapes at children is utterly unacceptable and this Act takes powers to restrict it.”
On the 13 February the government launched a consultation on proposals to extend existing indoor smoke-free places to certain outdoor settings and to introduce new heated tobacco and vape-free places.
In addition, the law introduces stronger enforcement powers, including the ability to implement a retail licensing scheme and tackle illicit tobacco and vape sales. These measures will help ensure responsible retailing and prevent rogue traders from profiting from addiction.
Dr Claire Fuller, NHS England National Medical Director, said:
“This legislation is a major step forward in tackling one of England’s biggest public health challenges.
“The NHS will support the Bill’s ambition by providing advice and treatment to help hundreds of thousands of people stop smoking – and we will work with our local authority partners to reduce tobacco-related disease among future generations.”
Alongside this legislation, the government is investing in record levels of support to help the UK’s 5.3 million smokers quit, including providing record levels of funding for local stop smoking services.
Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer at Cancer Research UK, said:
“This is a truly historic achievement that will help to save and improve lives. With the new law in place, we are moving towards a future where children will grow up shielded from the lifelong harms of tobacco. It will mean more people living a life free from the grip of deadly addiction, fewer people facing a cancer diagnosis and less pressure on an already over stretched health service.
“Today’s milestone is the result of decades of research, overwhelming support in Parliament, tireless campaigning and backing from people whose lives have been devastated by smoking. Governments across the UK must now ensure the Act is implemented fully in every nation, alongside support to help people quit smoking. A future free from the lethal harms of tobacco is firmly within reach.”
Three-quarters of smokers say they wish they had never started. By helping people quit and preventing future generations from starting, this legislation will reduce health inequalities, improve quality of life, and deliver long-term benefits for society.
Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive at Action on Smoking and Health, said:
“This is a truly watershed moment in public health. It is no longer a question of if smoking will end but rather a question of when. Smoking has prematurely taken millions of lives in the UK over the last 50 years. Ridding our society of the pain and suffering it causes is a gift to future generations.
“This is a moment to be seized, not only to protect the generations to come but to accelerate our support for the millions who are already smoking. Age should be no barrier to being part of a smokefree future, whether you’re 70 or 17, now is the time.”
By tackling the root causes of ill health, the Tobacco and Vapes Act will ease pressure on the NHS, support economic growth, and help build a healthier, smoke-free future for the country.
Sarah Sleet, Chief Executive at Asthma + Lung UK, said:
“The landmark Tobacco and Vapes bill, which becomes law today, will transform the nation’s health. A smoke-free generation is one of the most significant pieces of public health legislation in decades. No longer will the tobacco industry be able to wreak havoc on the lungs of future generations.
“In addition, this new law introduces desperately needed restrictions on where vapes, cigarettes and heated tobacco products can be used. It will protect vulnerable people, including those with lung conditions, around schools and outside hospitals. Now that this historic and long-awaited moment has been reached, the government must continue to provide better support for existing smokers and hold big tobacco to account for the untold damage they have caused to our lungs.”
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