Children aged 17 and under will be banned from ever legally purchasing cigarettes in their lifetime under new legislation in Britain.
The legislation, which cleared both the House of Commons and the House of Lords this week, creates a “smoke-free generation” by making it illegal for retailers to sell tobacco to anyone born after 2008.
Once the bill receives Royal Assent, British ministers will also wield significant new powers to regulate the flavours, packaging, and display of vaping and nicotine products to make them less appealing to minors.
Children born after 2008 will be banned from buying cigarettes for life in the UK. (Supplied)
The BBC reports that the bill is a cornerstone of a broader strategy to tackle smoking, which remains the UK’s leading cause of preventable death and disability.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting hailed the vote as an historic moment for the country.
He stated that prevention is better than cure and that this reform will save lives while easing pressure on the NHS to build a healthier Britain.
In the House of Lords, Health Minister Baroness Merron echoed this sentiment during the final stages of the debate on Monday.
She told peers that it is the biggest public health intervention in a generation and assured all noble Lords that it will save lives.
New restrictions on vaping
While the headline focus is the generational tobacco ban, the laws also tighten the screws on vaping.
Use of e-cigarettes will now be banned in cars carrying children, in playgrounds, outside schools, and at hospitals.
However, the laws stop short of a total outdoor ban, as pub gardens, beaches, and private residences are currently excluded from the new restrictions.
Vaping would also still be allowed outside hospitals in a bid to support those trying to quit.
This approach met with some pushback during the parliamentary process. Lord Naseby, a Conservative peer, noted that the bill does upset a great many people in that industry, including small retailers.
He argued that what is really needed is a proper understanding of how to educate people not to take up smoking.
Baroness Merron responded by assuring Lord Naseby that the government has worked closely with retailers and will continue to do so.
How it compares to Australia
While the UK’s “sliding age” tobacco ban is globally unique, its approach to vaping remains significantly more relaxed than the stringent regime currently in place in Australia.
Here, the federal government has effectively moved to end the retail sale of all vapes outside of a clinical setting.
In Australia, vapes are treated strictly as therapeutic goods rather than consumer products. It is illegal for any non-pharmacy retailer to sell vaping products, and the country has implemented a total ban on the importation of disposable, single-use vapes regardless of nicotine content.
While the UK is just now gaining the power to regulate flavours, Australia has already restricted them to tobacco, menthol, and mint to strip away the “candy-coated” appeal to children.
Australia has also long sought to discourage cigarette smoking through some of the world’s highest taxes, with a standard pack now often exceeding $50.
However, critics say these dual pressures – sky-high prices and strict anti-vaping measures – have allowed black market products to flourish.
A call for industry accountability
Advocacy groups have welcomed the UK’s progress but are already calling for more.
Sarah Sleet from Asthma + Lung UK said the legislation promised to transform the nation’s health.
She noted that now that the groundbreaking bill is finally over the line, there is a chance to go further to protect public health and hold the tobacco industry to account.
“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,” she told the BBC.
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