The UK's proposed generational smoking ban has cleared another parliamentary hurdle, with the House of Lords approving the Tobacco and Vapes Bill at its third reading on Monday. The legislation aims to create a smoke-free generation by preventing anyone currently aged 17 or younger from ever legally buying cigarettes.
Under the bill, shopkeepers would be prohibited from selling tobacco, herbal smoking products, or cigarette papers to individuals born on or after 1 January 2009. Adults caught buying vaping or nicotine products for children would also face fines. Additionally, ministers would gain new powers to regulate the flavours, substances, packaging, size, texture, and shape of smoking products, including vapes.
Health minister Baroness Merron told the Lords that smoking is the number-one preventable cause of death, disability, and ill health, claiming around 80,000 lives annually. She emphasised that the legislation aims to protect future generations from both tobacco and nicotine addiction.
However, Conservative shadow health minister Lord Kamall warned that the bill grants ministers considerable delegated powers over flavouring, advertising restrictions, and vape-free places. He stressed that regulations must not impose unnecessary burdens on retailers, particularly small shops and the hospitality sector, and should consider former smokers who rely on specific vape products to quit smoking. Lord Kamall also cautioned that a permanent and widening prohibition on tobacco sales might drive some to the black market.
Jamie Strachan, operations director at vaping retailer VPZ, welcomed the bill as an important moment for public health policy but called for strong enforcement against non-compliant products and clear regulatory standards to support responsible retailers. The bill still requires further parliamentary agreement before becoming law.
