The Tobacco and Vapes Act, which prohibits children aged 17 or younger from ever legally buying cigarettes, has received royal assent and become UK law. Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who introduced the legislation, described it as a landmark step that will save an enormous number of lives and put the country on track to end smoking within a generation.
A Historic Public Health Achievement
Health campaigners have hailed the new law as a watershed moment in public health. Mr Sunak told the Press Association: "I'm absolutely delighted that the smoke-free generation policy is now on the statute books. It's going to make an enormous difference to the health of our country and means we're on track to essentially end smoking within a generation." He added that the measure tackles the single biggest preventable cause of ill health and death in the UK, ensuring that many more families will stay together for years to come.
Impact on Smoking Rates and Mortality
Government estimates suggest that under the new law, the number of smokers aged 14 and over will fall from 5.5 million in 2023 to just over 700,000 by 2056, and to fewer than 1,000 by the turn of the next century. The modelling also indicates that some 154,800 deaths will be prevented in England by 2100. Smoking rates among those aged 14 to 30 are projected to fall from 11.2% in 2023 to effectively zero by 2050.
The UK is the first country in Europe to introduce such legislation, which means young people born on or after January 1, 2009, will never be legally sold tobacco. The bill was originally introduced by Mr Sunak in October 2023 and was carried forward by the Labour Government after it came to power in 2024. Cancer Research UK estimates that around 13 million children alive today will never be legally sold tobacco in the UK.
Reactions from Health Charities
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "This is a truly historic achievement that will help to save and improve lives. With the new law in place, we are moving towards a future where children will grow up shielded from the lifelong harms of tobacco. It will mean more people living a life free from the grip of deadly addiction, fewer people facing a cancer diagnosis, and less pressure on an already overstretched health service." She urged governments across the UK to ensure the Act is implemented fully in every nation, alongside support to help people quit smoking.
Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), called the law "a truly watershed moment in public health." She said: "It is no longer a question of if smoking will end but rather a question of when. Smoking has prematurely taken millions of lives in the UK over the last 50 years. Ridding our society of the pain and suffering it causes is a gift to future generations." She stressed that age should be no barrier to being part of a smoke-free future and called for urgent action to help the millions who still smoke today.
Additional Provisions of the Act
The law also introduces new powers to create a retail licensing scheme, ban the advertising and sponsorship of all vapes, and give ministers the authority to regulate the flavours, packaging, and display of vapes and other nicotine products. It will also allow the expansion of restrictions on indoor smoking to additional places. In England, this could include extending smoke-free outdoor areas to outside schools, children's playgrounds, and hospitals, but not pub beer gardens and beaches.
According to the Office for National Statistics, 9.1% of adults in Britain smoked cigarettes daily or occasionally in 2024, equating to around 4.9 million people, down from 18.8% in 2014. The new law aims to accelerate this decline and create a healthier future for the nation.
