The United Kingdom has approved a ban preventing anyone aged 17 and under from ever purchasing cigarettes during their lifetime.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is designed to stop individuals born after 1 January 2009—currently aged 17—from ever taking up smoking, reports RTE.
Health minister Wes Streeting described the move as a “historic moment for the nation’s health” that will create the “first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm”, reports RTE.
Once it receives royal assent and becomes law, it will grant the government authority to expand indoor smoking bans to certain outdoor areas, including children’s playgrounds and spaces outside schools and hospitals.
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It will also introduce new powers to regulate vape flavours and packaging, as well as extend smoking bans to places where vaping is currently permitted, reports RTE.
The legislation forms part of broader efforts to strengthen preventative healthcare and reduce long-term strain on the National Health Service.
Hazel Cheeseman, director of the public health charity Action on Smoking and Health, told LBC that the bill represents a “decisive turning point for public health”, reports RTE.
The Labour Party government introduced a ban in June last year on the sale of disposable vapes, which are inexpensive and often packaged in bright colours, making them particularly appealing to younger people.
New Zealand became the first nation in 2022 to introduce similar anti-smoking legislation, banning cigarette sales to those born after 2008. However, a newly elected conservative coalition scrapped the measure in November 2023, less than a year after its introduction, reports RTE.
The Maldives implemented a comparable ban in November last year, prohibiting cigarette sales to anyone born after 1 January 2007.
Smoking in England in 2024 was responsible for approximately 75,000 deaths annually and accounted for around a quarter of all cancer-related deaths, according to the National Health Service, reports RTE.
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