Children aged 17 or younger will face a lifelong ban on buying cigarettes, as the Tobacco and Vapes Bill clears Parliament.
Both the Commons and the Lords have settled on a final draft of the “landmark” legislation, which aims to stop anyone born after January 1, 2009 from taking up smoking by making it illegal for shops to sell tobacco to them, thereby creating a smoke-free generation.
When it receives Royal Assent, ministers will also gain new powers to regulate tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products, including their flavours and packaging.
The Bill forms part of a series of measures aimed at tackling the health impacts of smoking, one of the UK’s leading causes of preventable death, disability, and ill health.
Vaping will be banned in cars carrying children, in playgrounds, and outside schools and hospitals, expanding smoke-free laws.However, vaping will still be allowed outside hospitals in a bid to support those trying to quit.
Outdoor hospitality venues such as pub gardens, as well as wider open spaces like beaches and private outdoor areas, are not included in the plans.
People will also continue to be able to smoke and vape in their homes.
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting called it an historic moment for the nation’s health, adding: “Prevention is better than cure – this reform will save lives, ease pressure on the NHS, and build a healthier Britain.”
Health Minister Baroness Merron told the Lords on Monday: “It is, in fact, the biggest public health intervention in a generation, and I can assure all noble Lords it will save lives.”
Lord Naseby, a Conservative former MP, said the Tobacco and Vapes Bill “does upset a great many people in that industry”, including retailers.
“What we really need is a proper understanding of how we educate people not to take up smoking,” he said.
Responding to Lord Naseby, Baroness Merron said: “I can assure Lord Naseby, as I have done on a number of occasions, about how closely we have worked with retailers, and we will continue to do so.”
Sarah Sleet from Asthma + Lung UK said the legislation promised to transform the nation’s health.
“Now that this groundbreaking Bill is finally over the line, we have a chance to go further to protect public health and hold the tobacco industry to account.”
She urged the government to provide widespread smoking cessation support to ensure existing smokers are not left behind.
“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 said. (BBC News)
