The Tobacco and Vapes Bill raises the legal age for buying tobacco by one ⁠year, every year, starting with people born on or after January 1, 2009, meaning affected age groups face a lifetime ⁠ban.

The law, which is due to receive ‌royal assent next week, also tightens controls on vaping, including banning sales of vaping and nicotine products to under‑18s and restricting advertising, displays, free distribution and discounting.

Smoking causes about ‌64,000 deaths and 400,000 hospital ⁠admissions a year in England, according to ​official estimates, and costs the NHS around 3 ‌billion pounds ($4 billion) annually, with wider economic costs exceeding 20 billion pounds.

TIGHTER RULES ON VAPING

Vaping has also become a focus for policymakers, especially over concerns about youth uptake and nicotine addiction.

The new legislation will tighten those rules, with ministers gaining powers to regulate the flavours and ‌packaging of tobacco, vaping and ​nicotine products through secondary legislation.

Around 10% of adults in Great Britain – an estimated 5.5 million people – use vapes, according to health charity Action on Smoking and Health, with levels broadly unchanged since ⁠2024, suggesting growth has begun to plateau.