LONDON — A new piece of legislation aiming to protect future generations from smoking has officially been introduced in Parliament this week. This Tobacco and Vapes Bill seeks to ensure that today’s youth will never legally acquire tobacco products.
In addition to this pivotal measure, the legislation will also impose restrictions on smoking and vaping in certain outdoor settings, like playgrounds and at entrances to schools and healthcare facilities. However, a proposed prohibition on smoking in beer gardens of pubs has been eliminated following backlash from bar owners, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting stating that the hospitality sector has been severely impacted in recent years, marking it as an inappropriate time for such a ban.
Moreover, the bill includes provisions to limit the variety of vape flavors available and to prohibit enticing packaging aimed at minors. Health Secretary Streeting expressed concerns over an industry that seemingly aims to ensnare a new wave of children in nicotine addiction.
Continuing from the framework established by the previous Conservative government that was dismantled after the July general election, the legislation also aims to gradually increase the minimum age for purchasing tobacco, raising it by one year annually. This means that individuals born on or after January 1, 2009, will be unable to buy cigarettes at any point in their lives.
Currently, regulations already prohibit the sale of tobacco products and vapes to anyone under the age of 18. If the bill passes, which appears likely given the Labour Party’s significant majority in Parliament, it will position the United Kingdom with some of the most stringent anti-smoking laws globally.
The government is advocating that the bill will “break the cycle of addiction,” moving the U.K. towards a smoke-free future. Despite a substantial decline in smoking rates—approximately two-thirds since the 1970s—around 6.4 million individuals, which is roughly 13% of the population, continue to smoke. Official statistics indicate that smoking is responsible for about 80,000 fatalities annually in the United Kingdom and remains the leading preventable cause of death, disabilities, and overall health complications.