The UK is preparing to create a smoke-free generation with a landmark tobacco and vaping ban.
United Kingdom is one step away from passing a major law that would ban the sale of tobacco and vape products to anyone born after 2008.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has now cleared both houses of Parliament and is expected to receive royal assent from King Charles III in the coming days.
If approved, it will become illegal to sell tobacco, vapes, and related products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. The legal age for tobacco purchases in the UK is currently 18, but under the new system, the minimum age will rise each year.
Retailers who break the rules could face fines starting at £200. The bill also expands smoke-free and vape-free zones to include hospitals, care homes, schools, and playgrounds. Vaping in vehicles carrying anyone under 18 would also be banned.
The legislation gives ministers broader powers to regulate packaging, product standards, advertising, and promotion of tobacco and vaping products.
Health Minister Baroness Gillian Merron called the measure a landmark reform and one of the biggest public health interventions in a generation.
Supporters say the law will help reduce addiction among young people. According to the National Health Service, smoking causes one in four cancer deaths in the UK and is linked to most lung cancer cases.
Critics, including former Prime Minister Liz Truss, argue the policy limits personal freedom.
If signed into law, the UK will become one of the first countries to introduce a generational smoking ban.
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