A FINAL draft of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, banning anyone born on or after 1st January 2009 from ever being legally sold tobacco across the UK, has been settled on 20th April by the House of Commons and Lords.
The bill, now awaiting royal assent, aims to create the first “smoke-free generation” and reduce the burden on the NHS.
Health minister Baroness Merron, London, UK, told the Lords on 20th April: “This is a landmark bill that will create a smoke-free generation, and it will be the biggest public health intervention in a generation.
“I assure all noble Lords that it will save lives.”
It will also give the government new powers to regulate: the licensing of retail sales and registration of retailers, product and information requirements, the advertising and promotion of tobacco, vapes, and other products, and smoke-free, vape-free, and heated tobacco-free areas.
Reducing Burden on the NHS
Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death, disability, and ill health in the UK. It is responsible for 64,000 deaths per year in England alone and almost one person per minute, daily, is admitted to hospital because of smoking.1,2
Youth vaping has more than doubled in the last five years.2 Lords also discussed the harmful impact on children of marketing vapes as “cotton candy” and “gummy bear”.
Whilst e-cigarettes may pose fewer risks than cigarettes, they hold several health consequences, including potential respiratory and cardiovascular effects.3
Implementation
Upon royal assent, the bill will become an Act of Parliament and provisions will be rolled out across the UK.
Its clearance from parliament has been welcomed by various charities and campaign groups, including Cancer Research and Asthma and Lung UK.
Lord Moylan, life peer, London, UK, addressed the House on 3rd March: “This bill lays the foundations for a generational shift in public health.
“It will reach its potential only if implemented with care, attention, and continued cross-party resolve.
“This is landmark legislation, and we are proud to support it.”
References
1 Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. Public health profiles. 2026. Available at: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/. Last accessed: 22 April 2026.
2 GOV.UK. Smoke-free, heated tobacco-free and vape-free places in England. 2026. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/smoke-free-heated-tobacco-free-and-vape-free-places-in-england/smoke-free-heated-tobacco-free-and-vape-free-places-in-england. Last accessed: 22 April 2026.
3 Ghuman A et al. A systematic literature review on the composition, health impacts, and regulatory dynamics of vaping. Cureus. 2024;DOI:10.7759/cureus.66068.
Featured image: Aoy_Charin on Adobe Stock
