Born after 2009? You’ll never legally buy a cigarette in Britain, UK Parliament creates a ‘smoke-free generation.
The UK Parliament has passed the historic Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will make it illegal to sell tobacco to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. The bill will do this by raising the legal smoking age each year until there is a “smoke-free generation.” King Charles III must now formally approve the bill before it can become law. The goal of the measure is to lessen the heavy health and economic burden of smoking, which causes about 64,000 deaths and 400,000 hospitalizations each year in England. It will also ease the strain on the National Health Service, which spends about £3 billion a year on illnesses related to smoking. Health Secretary Wes Streeting called the new law a historic step. It also expands smoking bans to some outdoor areas, makes it illegal to vape in cars with kids, and puts stricter rules on how nicotine products can be marketed, flavored, and packaged to keep kids from using them. Health groups like Action on Smoking and Health see it as a major public health breakthrough, but critics, including some members of the House of Lords and people in the industry, say that strict rules could hurt businesses and push users toward alternatives that aren’t regulated. The UK is working on a generational smoking ban, like the Maldives. It will start in 2027, along with new rules and support for smokers who want to quit.
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