Both chambers of Britain’s parliament have approved the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which prohibits children aged 17 and under from purchasing cigarettes during their lifetime.
The legislation aims to prevent anyone born after 1 January, 2009, from ever taking up smoking. Health minister Wes Streeting described the approval as a “historic moment for the nation’s health” that will create the country’s “first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm”.
Once the bill receives royal assent and becomes law, the government will be granted powers to extend indoor smoking bans to outdoor spaces, including children’s playgrounds and areas outside schools and hospitals, reports AFP.
The bill also provides new authority to restrict the flavours and packaging of vapes and to ban vaping in locations where smoking is already prohibited.
These measures are part of a national drive to increase preventative health efforts and reduce long-term pressure on the state-funded National Health Service (NHS). Hazel Cheeseman, director of the public health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), told LBC radio that the bill represents a “decisive turning point for public health”.
In June last year, the Labour government introduced a ban on the sale of disposable vapes, noting their low cost and colourful packaging made them popular among young people.
While New Zealand became the first nation to enact a similar law in 2022, its conservative coalition repealed the legislation in November 2023. Additionally, the Maldives implemented a ban in November last year for anyone born after 1 January, 2007.
