The UK House of Commons began its first reading on Tuesday of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which aims to restrict the legal age to purchase tobacco each year to create the “first smoke-free generation”. The bill was proposed under former prime minister Rishi Sunak’s government, and advanced by Parliament in April 2024.

The 2023 King’s Speech outlined the bill’s initial proposal, which was to annually increase the legal age limit to purchase tobacco products as a means of creating a cigarette ban and slowly eliminating the access to and purchase of cigarettes. The bill resembles the approach taken by New Zealand. 

The Bill in its current form will prohibit the sale of tobacco, cigarette papers or any herbal smoking products “to people born on or after 1 January 2009”. It will also make it an offense to purchase tobacco on behalf of or for anyone born on or after 1 January 2009. Further provisions in the bill seek to create controls on the advertisement and promotion of tobacco and vape products, and create “smoke-free places, vape-free places and heated tobacco-free places”.

The bill will also allow ministers to “regulate” the flavors and packaging of vapes so “that they do not appeal to children”. The bill will further empower the government to “establish a new registration system for tobacco, vaping and nicotine products entering the UK market”.

The UK Department of Health and Social Care expressed concern over the impact of smoking on the health of citizens, the economy and the healthcare system:

Smoking costs the economy and wider society £21.8 billion a year. This includes an annual £18.3 billion loss to productivity, through smoking related lost earnings, unemployment, and early death, as well as costs to the NHS and social care of £3.1 billion.

Additionally, there is concern over the marketing of vapes to young adolescents and the wider impact of single-use disposable vapes on the environment. A ban on single-use vape products under separate environmental legislation may come into force from June 1, 2025.

After the third reading of the bill at the House of Commons, the bill will be read in the House of Lords before it can reach Royal Assent. Secretary Wes Streeting stated that the provisions outlined in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill are compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.