LONDON, April 22 (Reuters) - Children in Britain who are 17 or younger, and anyone born in the future, will never be able to legally buy cigarettes after lawmakers approved new stricter restrictions on smoking.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill raises the legal age for buying tobacco by one year, every year, starting with people born on or after January 1, 2009, meaning affected age groups face a lifetime ban.
The law, which is due to receive royal assent next week, also tightens controls on vaping, including banning sales of vaping and nicotine products to under‑18s and restricting advertising, displays, free distribution and discounting.
The government says the measures will help reduce smoking and prevent young people from becoming addicted to nicotine, easing long-term pressure on the National Health Service.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the approval of the bill was a historic moment for the nation's health.
"Children in the UK will be part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm," he said.
"Prevention is better than cure – this reform will save lives, ease pressure on the NHS, and build a healthier Britain."
Smoking causes about 64,000 deaths and 400,000 hospital admissions a year in England, according to official estimates, and costs the NHS around 3 billion pounds ($4 billion) annually, with wider economic costs exceeding 20 billion pounds.
TIGHTER RULES ON VAPING
Vaping has also become a focus for policymakers, especially over concerns about youth uptake and nicotine addiction.
The government banned the sale of single-use or disposable vapes last year over concerns about youth use and environmental damage.
The new legislation will tighten those rules, with ministers gaining powers to regulate the flavours and packaging of tobacco, vaping and nicotine products through secondary legislation.
Around 10% of adults in Great Britain - an estimated 5.5 million people - use vapes, according to health charity Action on Smoking and Health, with levels broadly unchanged since 2024, suggesting growth has begun to plateau.
About half of people who vape are former smokers, while around 40% continue to smoke alongside vaping, the charity said. ($1 = 0.7394 pounds)
(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti, Editing by Paul Sandle and Alex Richardson)
